McLarty Associates is an international strategic advisory firm. Their work lies at the nexus of business and policy. McLarty Associates understands the complexities of international markets and helps their clients navigate the strategic and operational challenges they face around the globe. The firm has a uniquely interactive approach and its team analyzes the international opportunity or problem, assesses the tools available to the clients, and develops and executes strategies. The senior members of the team, representing decades of top-level government and business experience, are deeply involved in the clients’ strategies on a daily basis. Their clients are generally Fortune 200 companies with substantial global footprints, but they also advise many emerging companies venturing abroad for the first time.
McLarty Fellowship
During this session learn more about the McLarty Fellowship. This is an opportunity for a graduate student to receive funding and access to academic and professional development opportunities in the fields of foreign affairs, international relations, public administration, public policy and security, supported by the partnership between McLarty Associates and the University of Maryland School of Public Policy.
Applications for the McLarty Fellowship are due Monday, November 29. Find the fellowship application here and attend the info session to learn more about McLarty and ask our speakers about your fellowship and career questions.
Speakers Bios
Safiya Ghori-Ahmad, Director
Safiya is a member of our South Asia and McLarty Inbound practices and helps coordinate the firm’s business development and global client management efforts. She previously served on the staff of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, covering South and Central Asia, and in the State Department as an advisor on Pakistan and Afghanistan in the Office of the Special Representative to Afghanistan and Pakistan (SRAP) under Secretaries Clinton and Kerry. She began her State Department career in the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, where she managed portfolios in South Asia and traveled extensively throughout the region promoting good governance, transparency, and the rule of law.
Reesha Patel, Associate
Reesha provides administrative and operational support to our team, including assisting with hiring and coordinating our interns. Reesha graduated Lehigh University in 2020 with a degree in International Relations and Economics and has prior experience working with Lehigh University’s Office of Economic Engagement, with the University Industry Innovation Network, and has been a Global Social Impact Fellow. She speaks fluent Gujarati.
Gretchen Knaut, Associate
Gretchen supports President and Co-Founder Nelson Cunningham, along with our New York-based Financial Advisory practice. She graduated magna cum laude from Yale University in 2020 with a BA in Global Affairs and Russian & East European Studies. She has completed two internships with the U.S. Department of State, first in the Office of European Security and Political Affairs, then at the U.S. Embassy in Tbilisi, Georgia.