William J. Burns Appointed as Senior Advisor to Blackstone

New York – Blackstone (NYSE:BX) today announced the appointment of the Honorable William J. Burns as Senior Advisor, providing strategic counsel to the firm on geopolitical issues.

Ambassador Burns is currently President of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, the oldest international affairs think-tank in the United States. He holds the rank of career ambassador, the highest in the U.S. Foreign Service. Before joining Carnegie, Ambassador Burns served as the Deputy Secretary of State, one of only two serving career diplomats in history to hold the title. Among his other posts during his 33-year diplomatic career, he served as Undersecretary for Political Affairs from 2008 to 2011, U.S. Ambassador to Russia from 2005 to 2008, Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs from 2001 to 2005, and U.S. Ambassador to Jordan from 1998 to 2001. 

“Bill has been one of the small group ’in the room’ dealing with most of the critical international issues of the last 20 years.  His innate understanding of geopolitical risk will serve us well as we seek new investment opportunities and partners globally,” said Tony James, President and Chief Operating Officer, Blackstone.  “He brings with him an impressive network of relationships built over a distinguished 33 year career and a unique perspective on the investment implications of international affairs. We are delighted to have him join the firm and we welcome him as a Senior Advisor to Blackstone.”

“I’m pleased to be joining Blackstone,” added Ambassador Burns. “I have long been impressed by their deep understanding of and approach to global business.  I feel that we can both learn from one another’s experiences and knowledge and I look forward to working closely with management and their experienced investment teams.”

Ambassador Burns received a Bachelor’s degree from LaSalle University and Master’s and Doctoral degrees in international relations from Oxford University, where he studied as a Marshall Scholar.  He is a recipient of four honorary Doctoral degrees and is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

About Blackstone

Blackstone is one of the world’s leading investment firms. We seek to create positive economic impact and long-term value for our investors, the companies we invest in, and the communities in which we work. We do this by using extraordinary people and flexible capital to help companies solve problems. Our asset management businesses, with over $300 billion in assets under management, include investment vehicles focused on private equity, real estate, public debt and equity, non-investment grade credit, real assets and secondary funds, all on a global basis. Blackstone also provides various financial advisory services, including financial and strategic advisory, restructuring and reorganization advisory and fund placement services. Further information is available at www.blackstone.com. Follow Blackstone on Twitter @Blackstone.

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