Ted Osius

Ambassador Ted Osius is a retired diplomat who serves as Senior Vice President & Regional Managing Director of the US-ASEAN Business Council, based in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. A diplomat for 30 years, Osius served from 2014 to 2017 as U.S. ambassador to Vietnam, where he led a team of 900 in devising and implementing strategies to deepen economic, security, and cultural ties between the two countries. He previously served as deputy chief of mission in Jakarta, Indonesia; political minister-counselor in New Delhi, India; deputy director of the Office of Korean Affairs at the State Department; regional environment officer for Southeast Asia and the Pacific; senior advisor on Asia and trade to Vice President Al Gore; and in other capacities. After leaving government, Ted served as Google Asia-Pacific’s vice president for government affairs and public policy and as President & CEO of the US-ASEAN Business Council.  

Osius holds a bachelor’s degree from Harvard University, a master’s degree from Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies, and an honorary doctorate from Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology and Education. He was the first U.S. ambassador to receive the Order of Friendship from the president of Vietnam. His most recent book, Nothing Is Impossible: America’s Reconciliation with Vietnam (2021), covered the two countries’ 25-year journey from adversaries to friends and partners. His earlier publications include The U.S.-Japan Security Alliance: Why It Matters and How to Strengthen It, Enhancing India-ASEAN Connectivity, and A US-Indonesia Partnership for 2020.