Secretary of State Antony Blinken

Born on April 16, 1962, in Yonkers, New York, USA, Antony Blinken pursued his education at Harvard

University, earning his degree in 1984 and later obtaining his J.D. from Columbia Law School in 1988.

Blinken’s familial background includes his father, Donald M. Blinken, who served as the U.S. Ambassador to Hungary, and his uncle, Alan Blinken, who held the position of Ambassador to Belgium.

Embarking on his career, Blinken engaged in various roles within government and international affairs. During the 1990s, he contributed as a reporter for The New Republic magazine and served as a foreign policy speechwriter for President Bill Clinton.

His government involvement continued, with Blinken assuming significant roles, such as a National Security Council staff member during the Clinton administration. Subsequently, he served as the staff director of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee under the chairmanship of Joe Biden.

Transitioning to the Obama administration, Blinken held the position of Deputy Assistant to the President and National Security Advisor to the Vice President from 2009 to 2013. In this capacity, he counseled Vice President Biden on foreign policy matters.

After his tenure in government, Blinken ventured into the private sector, taking on roles such as managing director at the Penn Biden Center for Diplomacy and Global Engagement and serving as a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Antony Blinken returned to the realm of government when President-elect Joe Biden nominated him to be the United States Secretary of State. Following Senate confirmation, he officially assumed office on January 26, 2021.

In his role as Secretary of State, Blinken played a pivotal role in shaping and executing U.S. foreign policy within the framework of the Biden administration.