Brett McGurk

An instrumental figure in one of the most consequential peace negotiations of our time, Brett McGurk shares compelling insights drawn from his two decades serving as a top national security advisor under four presidents.

One of the longest-serving and most effective national security experts of his generation, McGurk has been deeply involved in Middle East military strategy, diplomacy and U.S. policy for more than two decades. He has served directly for the last four presidents, negotiated multiple hostage releases, built the international coalition that ultimately defeated ISIS, and engaged regularly and directly with leaders from across the Middle East and around the world.  

McGurk offers insight into complex world problems, and how he built successful coalitions, advised four very different presidents, and acted as a steady and reliable leader to resolve seemingly insurmountable conflicts—earning strong bipartisan support in our divisive times. He shares his perspective on the current state of world affairs, the personalities who shape today’s headlines and their impact on industries such as energy, global financial markets, and the U.S. economy.

McGurk’s experiences have led him to some of the world’s most volatile regions. Serving as Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Iraq and Afghanistan under President Bush, McGurk helped develop “The Surge,” a fundamental and successful shift in Iraq war strategy. Under President Obama, he served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Iraq and Iran, spearheading secret negotiations with Iran that led to the release of six American citizens from the notorious Evin prison. McGurk led sensitive negotiations with Russia on the Syria crisis and shuttled between global capitals to build the largest international coalition in history as well as local armies on the ground to defeat ISIS, serving as Special Presidential Envoy to both President Obama and President Trump.  

McGurk served as the top Middle East advisor in the White House for President Biden, including the management of the crisis following the Hamas attacks against Israel on October 7, 2023. He was the lead negotiator on the Gaza ceasefire and hostage release talks, which culminated in a ceasefire and hostage release on January 19, 2025. In the final period of these talks, McGurk invited the incoming administration to participate, a historically unprecedented partnership.  

President Bush described McGurk as part of a “band of brothers” inside the White House at a critical phase of the Iraq war. President Obama called him one of his “closest advisors” on the Middle East. Condoleezza Rice referred to him as the “consummate professional diplomat.” The New York Times cited him as “a doer” in high-stakes negotiations.