Rose Gottemoeller

Rose Gottemoeller
Name	Rose Gottemoeller
Office	Deputy Secretary General of NATO
Term start	October 17, 2016
Term end	October 17, 2019
Predecessor	Alexander Vershbow
Successor	Mircea Geoană
Office1	Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security
Term start1	February 4, 2014
Term end1	October 17, 2016
President1	Barack Obama
Predecessor1	Ellen Tauscher
Successor1	Andrea L. Thompson
Office2	Assistant Secretary of State for Arms Control, Verification and Compliance
Term start2	February 4, 2012
Term end2	February 4, 2014
President2	Barack Obama
Predecessor2	Position established
Successor2	Frank A. Rose
Birth date	March 24, 1953
Birth place	Columbus, Ohio, U.S.
Alma mater	Georgetown University (BS), George Washington University (MA)
Party	Democratic

Rose Gottemoeller is an American diplomat and national security expert renowned for her decades of leadership in arms control and non-proliferation. She served as the first female Deputy Secretary General of NATO and held high-ranking positions in the United States Department of State, including Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security. A key negotiator of the New START Treaty, her career spans government service, academia, and influential think tanks.

Early life and education

Born in Columbus, Ohio, she developed an early interest in international affairs. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Russian and Soviet studies from the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University. She later completed a Master of Arts in Soviet studies and defense policy at the George Washington University, where her academic focus solidified her expertise in Cold War security dynamics and nuclear strategy.

Career in arms control and government

Gottemoeller began her career at the RAND Corporation, analyzing Soviet military capabilities. She joined the United States Department of Energy during the Clinton administration, eventually rising to Assistant Secretary for Nonproliferation and National Security. In this role, she managed programs to secure nuclear material in the former Soviet Union. She later served as Director for Russia and Eurasia on the National Security Council. During the Obama administration, she was appointed Assistant Secretary of State for Arms Control, Verification and Compliance, leading negotiations with the Russian Federation that culminated in the landmark New START Treaty. She was subsequently promoted to Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security, overseeing all U.S. arms control policy.

NATO Deputy Secretary General

In 2016, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg appointed her as the alliance's Deputy Secretary General, succeeding Alexander Vershbow. In this role at NATO Headquarters, she managed complex modernization efforts, bolstered deterrence on the Eastern Flank, and championed initiatives in emerging technologies and hybrid warfare. She played a central part in implementing decisions from the 2016 Warsaw summit and strengthening partnerships with countries like Georgia and Ukraine.

Academic and think tank roles

Following her government service, Gottemoeller returned to academia. She is the Frank E. and Arthur W. Payne Distinguished Lecturer at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies at Stanford University and a research fellow at the Center for International Security and Cooperation. Previously, she served as a senior associate at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, leading its work on nonproliferation. She has also held teaching positions at Georgetown University and contributed to analyses for the International Institute for Strategic Studies.

Publications and media

She is the author of numerous articles and books on security policy, including *"Negotiating the New START Treaty"*. Her commentary frequently appears in major outlets such as Foreign Affairs, The Washington Post, and Politico. A sought-after expert, she has provided analysis for BBC, CNN, and National Public Radio, discussing topics from nuclear arms control to the security implications of artificial intelligence for NATO.

Awards and honors

Her distinguished service has been recognized with several high honors, including the Department of State's Distinguished Service Award. She is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the American Academy of Diplomacy. In 2021, she was elected a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science for her contributions to international security.

Category:American diplomats Category:Arms control experts Category:NATO officials Category:1953 births Category:Living people