Don Gips

Ambassador Donald Gips serves as a Senior Director at the Albright Stonebridge Group, a Senior Advisor to Blackstone’s Private Equity Group, and as a venture partner at Columbia Capital. He currently serves on the boards of Black Rhino, and the Zayo Corporation. In addition, Don serves on the boards of numerous foreign policy, international relations and charitable organizations.

Amb. Gips served as the United States Ambassador to South Africa from July 2009 until January 2013. Prior to serving in South Africa, Don served as Assistant to the President. He was a leader on the Obama Administration’s Presidential Transition Team prior to serving in the White House as head of the Office of Presidential Personnel. Don previously served in the White House during the Clinton administration, as Chief Domestic Policy Advisor to Vice President Al Gore.

From 1998-2008, Don was Group Vice President of Global Corporate Development for Level 3 Communications, where he served as Chief Strategy Officer. Prior to his role at Level 3, Don served as Chief of the International Bureau at the Federal Communications Commission where he was responsible for WTO negotiations and spectrum policy. Before entering government, he was a management consultant to Fortune 500 companies at McKinsey & Company.

Amb. Gips received an MBA from the Yale School of Management and received his undergraduate degree from Harvard University.