Kenneth Ian Juster (born November 24, 1954) is an American former diplomat, who served as the United States Ambassador to India from 2017 to 2021. He is currently senior counselor at the global law firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, senior adviser at the institutional investor CDPQ, strategic adviser at the software company Salesforce, and distinguished fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations.
Juster's career has spanned over 40 years in government, law, business, finance, and international affairs. In the U.S. Government, in addition to being Ambassador to India, he has served as deputy assistant to the president for international economic affairs, at both the National Security Council and the National Economic Council; Under Secretary of Commerce; counselor (acting) of the Department of State; and deputy and senior advisor to Deputy Secretary of State Lawrence S. Eagleburger. In the private sector, he has previously been a partner at the global investment firm Warburg Pincus, a senior executive at Salesforce, and a senior partner at the law firm Arnold & Porter. Juster has also served as the chairman of the advisory committee of Harvard's Weatherhead Center for International Affairs (where he is now a member of the Committee), chairman of Freedom House, and vice chairman of the Asia Foundation. He is currently on the board of directors of the American Ditchley Foundation, the board of governors of the East-West Center, and the advisory council of the Bhutan Foundation. He is also a member of the Trilateral Commission, the Council on Foreign Relations, the American Academy of Diplomacy, and the Council of American Ambassadors.
Early life and education Juster was born in New York City. His father, Howard H. Juster, was an architect. His mother, Muriel (Uchitelle) Juster, was a high school social studies teacher. He has an older brother, Andrew A. Juster, who was the CFO at the Simon Property Group His uncle, Norton Juster, was an architect and author, who wrote The Phantom Tollbooth and The Dot and the Line, among other books.
Juster grew up in Scarsdale, New York. He attended Greenacres Elementary School, where he was named a Distinguished Alumnus in 2010. While at Scarsdale Junior High School, Juster, Peter Hillman and another friend interviewed Mick Jagger and Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones in 1966 for the school newspaper. Juster graduated from Scarsdale High School in 1972, where he was the president of the Honor Society, an AFS exchange student in Thailand (1971), and a member of the varsity basketball team. Juster was named a Distinguished Alumnus of Scarsdale High School in 2007.
Juster graduated from Harvard College, Phi Beta Kappa, in 1976, with a Bachelor of Arts in Government (magna cum laude). While at Harvard, he was the research assistant to Professor Samuel P. Huntington, the general manager of Harvard Political Review, and an undergraduate associate of Harvard's Center for International Affairs (CFIA). Juster received a grant from the CFIA in 1975 to conduct research in Japan for his senior thesis, "How Process Affects Substance: Japanese Foreign Policy Making During the Oil Crisis of 1972–1973," under Professors Edwin O. Reischauer and Robert L. Paarlberg. The Japan Interpreter published an abbreviated version of the thesis, entitled “Foreign Policy-Making During the Oil Crisis,” in its Winter 1977 edition.Kenneth I. Juster, “Foreign Policy-Making During the Oil Crisis,” Japan Interpreter, Vol. 11, No. 3 (1977) Juster completed a four-year joint degree program in 1980 at the Harvard Law School, graduating with a Juris Doctor (cum laude), and at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government, graduating with a Master of Public Policy.
Career
Early career Juster first worked in the U.S. government in 1978 as an intern at the National Security Council under one of his mentors, Samuel P. Huntington, who was the White House Coordinator of Security Planning. In that position, Juster contributed to Presidential Review Memorandum/NSC-10 on the Comprehensive Net Assessment and Military Posture Review. Upon graduation from the Harvard Law School, Juster served as a law clerk from 1980 to 1981 to Judge James L. Oakes of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.
From 1981 to 1989 and 1993 to 2001, Juster practiced law at Arnold & Porter, where he became a senior partner. His work involved international arbitration and litigation, corporate counseling, regulatory matters, and international trade and transactions. Among his noteworthy cases was his representation of the government of Panama-in-exile against the Noriega regime in 1988 and 1989.
George H. W. Bush administration Juster served as the deputy and senior adviser to Deputy Secretary of State Lawrence S. Eagleburger from 1989 to 1992, and as the Counselor (Acting) of the United States Department of State from 1992 to 1993. He was one of the key U.S. Government officials involved in establishing and managing U.S. assistance programs to Central and Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union, including setting up the initial Enterprise Funds for that region. On behalf of Secretary of State James A. Baker III, Juster organized the first Coordinating Conference on Assistance to the Newly Independent States (NIS) of the former Soviet Union in January 1992, shortly after the collapse of the U.S.S.R. He also led the first international delegation to meet with representatives of the NIS in Minsk, Belarus in February 1992. In addition, Juster was a member of the five-man team, led by Deputy Secretary Eagleburger, that traveled to Israel directly prior to and during the first Gulf War to negotiate with the Israelis regarding their posture during that War. Juster was also actively involved at State in policy matters relating to China, Japan, Latin America, and the Persian Gulf. Upon completion of his tenure at the State Department, Juster received the Secretary of State's Distinguished Service Award and Medal, the State Department's highest honor. He also later received the Officer's Cross of the Order of Merit from the president of the Federal Republic of Germany for his contributions to U.S.-German relations during the end of the Cold War and in its aftermath.
George. W. Bush administration Juster served as U.S. Under Secretary of Commerce from 2001 to 2005, in charge of the Bureau of Industry and Security. In that capacity, Juster oversaw issues at the intersection of business and national security, including strategic trade controls related to the exports of sensitive U.S. goods and technologies, imports and foreign investments that affect U.S. security, enforcement of anti-boycott laws, and industry compliance with international arms control agreements.
Juster co-founded and served as the U.S. Chair of the U.S.–India High Technology Cooperation Group. He was also one of the key architects of the Next Steps in Strategic Partnership initiative between the United States and India. His work related to India played an important role in the transformation of the U.S.-India relationship and helped provide the foundation for the historic civil nuclear agreement between the two countries. Juster received the U.S.-India Business Council's Blackwill Award for his contributions to U.S.-India relations.
Juster was also responsible for negotiating and signing the End-Use Visit Understanding between the United States and China, which strengthened the security of exports of U.S. technology to China. In addition, he launched the Transshipment Country Export Control Initiative, which enhanced security through increased export controls at major transshipment hubs such as Hong Kong, Singapore, Panama, and the United Arab Emirates. He also worked extensively with Israel on the export of sensitive technologies, and with European allies and Japan in coordinating export control initiatives. Upon completion of his term at the Commerce Department, Juster received the Secretary of Commerce's William C. Redfield Award and Medal, the Commerce Department's Highest Honor.
Technology and finance From 2005 to 2010, Juster was executive vice president of law, policy, and corporate strategy at Salesforce. He was a section 16(b) officer of the company and a member of the company's five-member executive committee, led by chairman and CEO Marc Benioff. Juster oversaw the functions of corporate development, legal affairs, global public policy and strategy, enterprise risk management, human resources, internal audit, and worldwide real estate. He established the corporate development function and successfully executed the company's initial eight acquisitions and numerous strategic investments in start-up ventures. Juster was also centrally involved in the company's international expansion, including the growth of business in Japan and the establishment of operations in India. In addition, he shaped policy on privacy, security, and cross border data flows with governmental agencies.
Juster was a partner and managing director at the global investment firm Warburg Pincus from 2010 to 2017. He focused on a broad range of issues, including geopolitical risk, global public policy, and regulatory matters relating to the firm's investment activities and portfolio companies. Juster worked closely with investment teams involved in energy and technology. He also founded and led the firm's environmental, social, and governance program and worked on related initiatives with portfolio companies.
Juster was also a member of the U.S. President's Advisory Committee for Trade Policy and Negotiations from 2007 to 2010. In addition, he served as a non-resident fellow in the Future of Diplomacy Project at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government in 2010 and 2011.
Trump administration Juster served as the deputy assistant to the president for international economic affairs and deputy director of the National Economic Council from January 2017 to June 2017. He was also a senior member of the National Security Council. In this role, Juster coordinated the administration's international economic policy and integrated it with national security and foreign policy. He helped establish the U.S.-Japan Economic Dialogue and the U.S.-U.K. Economic Dialogue. He contributed to the U.S. economic relationships with Canada, China, Germany, India, Saudi Arabia, and South Korea. Juster served as the president's representative and lead U.S. negotiator ("Sherpa") in the run-up to the 43rd G7 summit in Taormina, Italy.
Juster was selected in May 2017 by President Trump to be the next United States Ambassador to the Republic of India. President Trump formally nominated him on September 5, 2017. Juster was confirmed by unanimous consent of the U.S. Senate on November 2, 2017, and he was appointed and sworn in on November 3, 2017. He presented his credentials to the president of India on November 23, 2017, thereby becoming the 25th U.S. Ambassador to India.
During his tenure, Juster was involved with India on a broad range of issues across many sectors, including defense, trade and finance, energy, science and technology, aviation, health, agriculture, education, and space. He gave a widely acclaimed policy address in January 2018, which set out a vision for a durable U.S.-India strategic partnership. He participated in the development of the U.S. government's Indo-Pacific strategy and the relaunching of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) among Australia, India, Japan, and the United States. He also hosted a visit from the president of the United States in February 2020. Several major policy initiatives were concluded while Juster was U.S. Ambassador.