Matthew Barzun Explained

Matthew Barzun
Office:United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom
President:Barack Obama
Term Start:December 4, 2013
Term End:January 18, 2017
Predecessor:Louis Susman
Successor:Woody Johnson
Office1:United States Ambassador to Sweden
President1:Barack Obama
Term Start1:August 21, 2009
Term End1:May 28, 2011
Predecessor1:Michael M. Wood
Successor1:Mark Brzezinski
Birth Name:Matthew Winthrop Barzun
Birth Date:23 October 1970
Party:Democratic
Children:3
Education:Harvard University (AB)

Matthew Winthrop Barzun (born October 23, 1970) is an American businessman, diplomat and political fundraiser who served as the United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom.[1] He is a business executive who is known for his work with CNET Networks and for his fundraising work on Barack Obama's 2008 presidential campaign.[2] [3] He served as United States Ambassador to Sweden from 2009 to 2011. He was selected by President Barack Obama as National Finance Chair for the president's 2012 re-election campaign.[4] He is author of The Power of Giving Away Power from Optimism Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House.[5]

Early life and education

Barzun was born in New York City. He grew up in Lincoln, Massachusetts and attended St. Paul's School, Concord, New Hampshire. He received his Bachelor of Arts in history and literature magna cum laude from Harvard College in 1993. In his testimony to the Senate during his confirmation vetting, Barzun noted that he had served as a summer intern to Massachusetts Senator John Kerry in 1989. He holds honorary degrees from University of Warwick[6] and De Montfort University[7] and an honorary fellowship from University College London.[8]

Career

After graduating from Harvard College, he began working with CNET Networks.[9] [10] [11]

2008 Obama campaign

In The Audacity to Win, author and political strategist David Plouffe describes Matthew Barzun's grassroots campaign idea as "citizen fundraisers" that drove Obama's connection with supporters.[12]

Diplomacy

The Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, chaired by Senator John Kerry, approved Barzun's nomination as Ambassador to Sweden during the week of August 3, 2009, and the nomination was confirmed on August 7. Barzun was sworn in as U.S. Ambassador to the Kingdom of Sweden on August 12, 2009, and presented his credentials to King Carl XVI Gustaf on August 21, 2009.[13] Barzun prioritized outreach and personal engagement, launching the U.S. Embassy Road Show that brings embassy personnel, resources, and exhibits out of Stockholm to smaller cities and towns.[14] In partnership with the Swedish government, he also created the Swedish American Green Alliance where Swedes and Americans share news and ideas toward a clean energy future.[15]

President Obama nominated Barzun to be the United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom in 2013.[16] [17] The Senate confirmed him by unanimous consent on August 1, 2013. He presented his credentials to Queen Elizabeth II on November 27, 2013.[18] Barzun set up the Young Leaders UK (YLUK) programme whilst in office, which allowed him to communicate and speak with young people from across the United Kingdom. YLUK met with President Obama during his visit to the UK in 2016.[19] Barzun was selected by the U.S. Department of State as the winner of the 2016 Sue M. Cobb Award for Exemplary Diplomatic Service for "his passion and commitment during his tenure in London by promoting American values and ideals, and his dedication to developing the next generation of career Foreign Service Officers."[20]

In January 2017, Barzun announced that he was to leave as Ambassador before Donald Trump took office. Barzun left the UK on 18 January 2017, moving back to Kentucky. The then Deputy Chief of Mission, Lewis Lukens, then succeeded Barzun as Chargé d'affaires pending the appointment of a new ambassador.[1] [21] Upon his return to the United States, he received the Marshall Medal from the Marshall Aid Commemoration Commission created by the British Parliament for his dedication to strengthening U.S. and British relations.[22] And he serves on the board of the National Constitution Center.[23]

The Power of Giving Away Power

On June 1, 2021, Penguin Random House (Optimism Press) published Barzun's book The Power of Giving Away Power: How the Best Leaders Learn to Let Go. The leadership book describes how to create a culture of collaboration by adopting the habits and behaviors of interdependence.[24] Leaders profiled include Mary Parker Follett, John Gilbert Winant, Dee Hock, and Jane Jacobs.[25]

Media

Barzun co-founded Tortoise Media in 2018 with James Harding and Katie Vanneck-Smith.[26] As of January 2021, the outlet had nearly 50,000 paid-for subscribers[27] Also in 2018, Barzun acquired Louisville Magazine[28] and is the magazine's publisher.[29]

Personal life

Matthew Barzun is a descendant of Lucretia Mott,[30] a proponent of women's rights, John Winthrop, founder of the Massachusetts Bay Colony and the city of Boston, and A. Lawrence Lowell, former president of Harvard University.[31] His grandfather was the renowned French-born American cultural historian and former Columbia University professor, Jacques Barzun. He is the second of four children. His younger sister is film producer Lucy Barzun Donnelly, Emmy and Golden Globe winner for her work producing Grey Gardens for HBO.

His younger brother, Charles Barzun, is a tenured professor of law at the University of Virginia School of Law. His older sister, Mariana Barzun, is Executive Director of the Office of Philanthropy in the Mayor's Office in Louisville, KY.

Barzun is married to Brooke Brown Barzun, heiress of the Brown-Forman Corporation distilling empire, which includes the brands Jack Daniel's and Woodford Reserve. They live in Louisville, Kentucky, Brooke's hometown, and have three children.[31]

External links

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Notes and References

  1. News: Biography of Ambassador Matthew W. Barzun . https://web.archive.org/web/20161123133438/https://uk.usembassy.gov/our-relationship/our-ambassador/ . 23 November 2016 . U.S. Embassy & Consulates in the United Kingdom . en-US . 2017-01-18 . dead .
  2. Gerth, Joseph "Innovator aided march to presidency" Louisville Courier-Journal December 28, 2008
  3. News: How Obama did it. https://web.archive.org/web/20120219021834/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1812049-2,00.html . dead . February 19, 2012 . TIME . 2008-06-05 . 2012-04-13.
  4. News: Mass. native to oversee Obama's fund-raising effort - Political Intelligence - A national political and campaign blog from The Boston Globe . Boston.com . 2011-04-29 . 2012-04-13 . Glen . Johnson.
  5. Web site: The Power of Giving Away Power by Matthew Barzun: 9780525541042 | PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books. PenguinRandomhouse.com.
  6. Web site: Creator of some of the world's smallest works of art, Malaysian born author, and former US Ambassador to UK among those to be awarded honorary degrees by the University of Warwick. warwick.ac.uk.
  7. Web site: Winter graduations get underway in style at DMU. www.dmu.ac.uk.
  8. Web site: Honor where honor is due. 25 July 2018.
  9. Web site: Bewig. Matt. Ambassador to the United Kingdom: Who Is Matthew Barzun?. AllGov. 7 June 2017. 27 October 2013.
  10. Web site: Ambassador Matthew Barzun '88 is Form of 2017 Baccalaureate speaker. St Paul's School. 7 June 2017.
  11. Web site: Matthew W. Barzun. US Department of State.
  12. Book: Plouffe, David. David Plouffe. The Audacity to Win. Viking Adult. 2009. New York. 978-0-670-02133-8. registration.
  13. http://stockholm.usembassy.gov/newsflash/barzun_testimony.html
  14. News: Carlbom. Mats. En pannkaksvändare på Sverigeturné. 20 October 2014. Dagens Nyheter.
  15. Swedish American Green Alliance blog http://sagastory.blogspot.com
  16. News: Matthew Barzun, Obama Fundraiser, Tapped As Ambassador To Britain. Huffington Post. 9 July 2013. July 9, 2013.
  17. Web site: Presidential Nominations Sent to the Senate. whitehouse.gov. National Archives. 10 July 2013.
  18. Web site: Biography of Ambassador Matthew W. Barzun. U.S. Embassy & Consulates in the United Kingdom. en-US. 2016-06-22.
  19. Web site: Young Leaders UK (YLUK). 2015-06-16. U.S. Embassy & Consulates in the United Kingdom. en-US. 2016-06-22.
  20. News: Extraordinary performances hailed and honored. Hahn. Michael. January 2017. State Magazine.
  21. News: Sands. Sarah. US Ambassador Matthew Barzun: I'd love Michelle Obama to be the next President. 18 January 2017. London Evening Standard. 18 January 2016.
  22. News: Former US ambassador, Louisville resident honored at Harvard. The Courier-Journal. 2017-06-13. en.
  23. Web site: Matthew W. Barzun - National Constitution Center.
  24. Book: Barzun, Matthew. Matthew Barzun. The Power of Giving Away Power. Penguin Random House. 2021. New York. 978-0-52-554104-2.
  25. News: Rees . Matthew . 'The Power of Giving Away Power' Review: The Stars Look Down . 9 June 2021 . Wall Street Journal . 9 June 2021.
  26. News: Rajan . Amol . Can Harding make Slow News pay? . 17 October 2018 . BBC News . 17 October 2018.
  27. Web site: Tobitt. Charlotte. 2021-01-29. Tortoise sees Covid 'boost' engagement and membership. 2021-01-30. Press Gazette. en-US.
  28. Web site: Former U.S. Ambassador and CNET Exec Buys Louisville Magazine. Folio. 2018-09-03. 2018-08-28.
  29. Web site: (It's Not) About Us.
  30. Web site: Dagens Nyheter chat with public as newly appointed Ambassador to Sweden . Dn.se . 2009-08-24 . 2012-04-13.
  31. News: New U.S. Ambassador Matthew Barzun Arrives. 20 November 2013. 23 August 2013. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20131119055738/http://london.usembassy.gov/ukpapress137.html. 19 November 2013.