The Director's Chair

In this episode of The Director’s Chair, Michael Fullilove speaks with the Australian-American diplomat, Middle East scholar, and author Dr Martin Indyk. Martin worked in both the Clinton and Obama administrations as Assistant Secretary of State, US Ambassador to Israel and Special Envoy for Middle East Peace. He is a Distinguished Fellow at the Council on Foreign Affairs and a long-serving Board member at the Lowy Institute.

Michael and Martin discuss his career working on Middle East peace, as well as Israeli politics, recent events in Jordan, and the Biden administration's approach towards Saudi Arabia. Martin reflects on growing up in Sydney, what Bill Clinton was like as a boss, and what we can learn from Henry Kissinger’s shuttle diplomacy.

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In this episode of The Director’s Chair, Michael Fullilove speaks with award-winning journalist, author, and editor Anna Fifield. Anna, the editor of the Wellington newspaper The Dominion Post, has previously reported for the Financial Times and The Washington Post from London, Washington, Seoul, Tokyo and Beijing. Anna is the author of a celebrated biography of Kim Jong-un titled The Great Successor.

Michael and Anna talk about reporting from Beijing and Tokyo and writing about Xi Jinping and Kim Jong-un. Anna also speaks about human rights abuses against the Uyghurs in China’s Xinjiang province, the recent summit meeting in Anchorage, and the contrasting policies of Australia and New Zealand towards China.

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In this episode of The Director’s Chair, Michael Fullilove speaks with international business leader Marcus Wallenberg. Marcus is a fifth-generation member of the Wallenberg Family, a Swedish political and business dynasty that has counted foreign ministers, ambassadors, and prominent business figures among its numbers.

Marcus is the chairman of both Saab and the SEB Group. He sits on the board of AstraZeneca and the international advisory board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange and has previously served as chair of the International Chamber of Commerce.

Michael and Marcus talk about the situation in Hong Kong, the rollout of vaccines, and how the pandemic has changed the nature of work. Marcus discusses how China is viewed in Europe, the future of the international economy, and leaders who have impressed him.

Saab Australia is a subsidiary of Saab AB, of which Marcus Wallenberg is the Chairman. Saab Australia is a corporate member of the Lowy Institute.

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In this episode of The Director’s Chair, Michael Fullilove speaks with the Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Frances Adamson. Over the course of her career, Frances has represented Australia’s interests in Europe and Asia and advised foreign ministers and prime ministers.

Michael and Frances discuss relations with China, recent events in Myanmar, and how DFAT is helping Australians abroad during the pandemic. Frances reflects on why she joined DFAT, nominates Australian and foreign leaders who have impressed her, and talks about the distinctiveness of Australian diplomacy.

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In this episode of The Director’s Chair, Michael Fullilove speaks with General David Petraeus who led the 2007 surge in Iraq, headed up the US Central Command, commanded US and NATO forces in Afghanistan, and served as director of the CIA.

Michael and David discuss America’s involvement in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, reflect on President Biden’s approach to the use of force, and the Capitol riots of January 6. David provides insight into the future of the US-China relationship, shares his impressions of President Biden’s foreign policy team, and evaluates the legacy of the Trump presidency.

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In this episode of The Director’s Chair, Michael Fullilove speaks with Evan Osnos, the award-winning journalist, author and staff writer for The New Yorker. In 2014 he published a book on China, Age of Ambition, which won the National Book Award. Evan recently released an insightful and highly readable biography of the President-elect, Joe Biden: American Dreamer.

Michael and Evan discuss Joe Biden’s first presidential campaign in 1988, his record as Barack Obama’s Vice President, and analyse the team he will take into government. Evan provides insight into Biden’s relationship with Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, his love for ‘the connect’, and the approach that President Biden will take to China and the world.

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In this episode of The Director’s Chair, Michael Fullilove speaks with one of the leading US Democratic voices on foreign policy, Kurt Campbell. From 2009 to 2013, Kurt served as the Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs under Secretary Clinton in the Obama administration, where he is widely credited as a key architect of the “pivot to Asia.” He is CEO of The Asia Group, and serves as Chairman of the Board of the Center for a New American Security, which he co-founded with Michèle Flournoy in 2007.

Michael and Kurt discuss Kurt’s upbringing, his working life, President-elect Biden’s likely policy towards Asia, the current disagreement between Canberra and Beijing, and future relations between the Biden administration and the Morrison government.

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In this episode of The Director’s Chair, Michael Fullilove speaks with Professor Robert Dallek, the distinguished presidential historian. Professor Dallek is a prize-winning author who has written books about Franklin D. Roosevelt, Richard Nixon, Lyndon B. Johnson and many other American presidents. Previously he has taught at Columbia, UCLA, Oxford and the University of Texas.

Professor Dallek discusses his upbringing in Brooklyn during the Great Depression, his thoughts on the enduring popularity of President Kennedy, and provides an early assessment of President Donald Trump's legacy. He analyses the recent election results and makes some predictions as to the shape of Joe Biden’s presidency.

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In this episode of The Director’s Chair, Michael Fullilove speaks with one of the world’s leading Trumpologists, Dr Thomas Wright. Tom is a Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution in Washington DC and a Nonresident Fellow at the Lowy Institute. His recent Lowy Institute Analysis, The Point of No Return: The 2020 Election and the Crisis of American Foreign Policy, examines implications of the 2020 US presidential election for Australia and the world.

Tom reflects on his childhood in Ireland, his experience working in the US foreign policy community as an immigrant, and takes listeners on a guided tour of the world views of President Donald Trump and Vice President Joe Biden. He examines what a second Trump term, and a first Biden term, would mean for US policies on China, alliances, and global trade. He also discusses the stakes for Australia.

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In this episode of The Director’s Chair, Michael Fullilove speaks with Stephen Hadley, the former national security adviser to President George W. Bush. Throughout his long career, Steve Hadley worked for four American presidents – Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, George H.W. Bush, and George W. Bush. He is Chairman of the Board of the United States Institute of Peace, a member of the Board of Directors of the Council on Foreign Relations, and a partner at Rice, Hadley, Gates & Manuel – an international consulting firm he co-founded with former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and former Secretary of Defense Bob Gates.

Mr Hadley discusses his upbringing and his memories of Hillary Clinton at Yale as well as his experiences serving alongside Brent Scowcroft, James Baker, Dick Cheney, Condoleezza Rice and George W. Bush. He also talks about the Afghanistan and Iraq wars and provides some observations on leadership, America’s response to COVID and China.

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