Senior FinCEN leader will spearhead the Atlantic Council’s work to advance US economic security policy and deliver cutting-edge research on ways the government and private sector can use the tools of economic statecraft wisely and effectively.
Washington, DC—February 21, 2023—The Atlantic Council’s GeoEconomics Center announced today that Kimberly Donovan has been named Director of the Economic Statecraft Initiative, bringing with her deep experience on anti-money laundering, countering the financing of terrorism, and sanctions policy.
“We are thrilled Kim is coming on board to lead our work on economic statecraft,” said Josh Lipsky, Senior Director of the GeoEconomics Center. “She has been at the forefront of the development of the tools of statecraft throughout her fifteen-year career in the US government—from going after terrorist financing in the wake of 9/11, to choking off funds from Hezbollah, to targeting Russia’s illicit financial flows.”
Before joining the Council, Donovan was Chief of Staff of the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) and Acting Associate Director of FinCEN’s Intelligence Division where she oversaw intelligence requirements and analysis to counter money laundering, cybercrime, and terrorist financing. She previously served at the Department of the Treasury as Acting Director of the Middle East and North Africa in the Office of Terrorist Financing and Financial Crimes and at the White House National Security Council as a Director for Counterterrorism.
“The GeoEconomics Center provides expert data-driven analysis and timely insight to inform economic security policy solutions,” Donovan noted. “It is a privilege to join the Atlantic Council and apply my expertise of economic statecraft tools to advance the GeoEconomics Center’s mission and lead the Economic Statecraft Initiative’s efforts to shape and inform the policy debates involving the development, implementation, and effectiveness of economic tools to address some of the most critical foreign policy challenges of our time.”
Frederick Kempe, President and CEO of the Atlantic Council, said: “Kim is joining the Council at a time when economic statecraft is in the spotlight like never before. In 2022, Western allies deployed powerful economic tools against Russia and China, ranging from financial sanctions to tech export controls. In 2023, the United States and allies will have to focus on enforcement and preventing sanctions evasion around the world. Kim’s extensive experience in combatting financial crime and leadership on sanctions policy will be key in navigating this rapidly changing landscape.”
Housed within the GeoEconomics Center, the Economic Statecraft Initiative sheds light on what are becoming first-line tools of American power—sanctions, export controls, investment screening, and trade restrictions. The initiative leverages deep government experience, regulatory expertise, and proprietary data to produce widely read analysis and expert briefings. Their impactful body of work includes the internationally recognized Global Sanctions Dashboard and Russia Sanctions Database.
Launched in 2020, the Atlantic Council’s GeoEconomics Center has become the go-to place at the intersection of economics, finance, and foreign policy. The Center bridges the divide between these oft-siloed sectors and helps shape a better global economic future for the United States and its allies. The Center is organized around three programs: 1) The Future of Capitalism; 2) The Future of Money; and 3) The Economic Statecraft Initiative.
