Common Sense Diplomacy

In the spirit of Penn’s commitment to embracing global engagement, Andrea Mitchell will conduct a far-ranging conversation with Ambassador David L. Cohen and Ambassador Amy Gutmann on their experiences as diplomats. They will discuss what best prepared them for their positions, what its greatest perils and pleasures were, and lessons learned. They will address the challenges of defending democratic sovereignty, security, and economic progress and the job of diplomacy when personal beliefs may be at odds with the “official” positions of Washington.

David L. Cohen was nominated to be U.S. ambassador to Canada by President Joe Biden, and unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate. Prior to that appointment, he served as senior advisor to the CEO at Comcast Corporation as of January 1, 2020. He was previously senior executive vice president at Comcast NBCUniversal, where his portfolio included corporate communications, legal affairs, government and regulatory affairs, public affairs, corporate administration, corporate real estate and security, and community impact. Cohen also served as the company’s first chief diversity officer. Before starting with Comcast in July 2002, Cohen served as a partner in and chairman of Ballard Spahr Andrews & Ingersoll, LLP, one of the 100 largest law firms in the country. From January 1992 to April 1997, Cohen served as chief of staff to the Honorable Edward G. Rendell, the mayor of Philadelphia. He has served on many nonprofit boards, including as chair of the Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania and its Executive Committee; as chair of the trustee board and the executive committee of Penn Medicine; as chair of the board of directors and the executive committee of the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce; as chair of the Philadelphia Theatre Company; as a member of the Board of the National Urban League; and as chair of the corporate board of advisors of UnidosUS.

Amy Gutmann is a prize-winning scholar, teacher, university leader, and diplomat. She has published and lectured widely on democracy and education; deliberation, compromise, diplomacy, and their critics; bioethics and access to health care; human rights; identity politics; and ethics in public affairs. Gutmann served as U.S. ambassador to Germany (2022-24). During her tenure, the German relationship with the United States became stronger than ever in the post-WWII period, on multiple measures including support for Ukraine’s defense against Putin, increased trade and investment, and resistance to rising extremism. Gutmann was the eighth and longest serving president of Penn, serving from 2004 to 2022. Named by Fortune in 2018 as one of the “World’s 50 Greatest Leaders,” Gutmann is renowned for championing affordable access to education and health care, innovative discoveries that save lives and propel economies forward, global engagement, and public-private partnerships.

Andrea Mitchell is NBC News’ chief Washington and chief foreign affairs correspondent, reporting on political and international news for NBC Nightly News, the Today Show, Meet the Press, and the network’s digital and streaming platforms. She has covered every presidential campaign for NBC News since 1980, and for 17 years also anchored "Andrea Mitchell Reports," a weekday program of political and foreign policy news on MSNBC. A pioneer in her field, Mitchell is known for her tenacity whether she is covering domestic politics or reporting from conflict zones in Iraq, Afghanistan, North Korea, or the Middle East. Mitchell has been honored for her distinguished reporting, receiving the lifetime achievement award at the 40th annual News & Documentary Emmy Awards, The International Radio and Television Society Foundation’s Giant of Broadcasting and Electronic Arts Honor, the International Women’s Media Foundation’s Lifetime Achievement Award, the Freedom of the Press Award from the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, and a Lifetime Achievement Award at the sixth annual Washington Women in Journalism Awards. A Penn alumna, she is a former vice chair of the Board of Trustees and founder of the Andrea Mitchell Center for the Study of Democracy in the College of Arts and Sciences. In 2018, she was the University’s commencement speaker and received an honorary doctorate of humanities from the University.

Michael C. Horowitz is director of Perry World House and Richard Perry professor at the University of Pennsylvania. He is also senior fellow in innovation and technology at the Council on Foreign Relations. From 2022 to 2024, Professor Horowitz served as deputy assistant secretary of defense for force development and emerging capabilities. He is the author of The Diffusion of Military Power: Causes and Consequences for International Politics, and the co-author of Why Leaders Fight. He won the Karl Deutsch Award given by the International Studies Association for early career contributions to the fields of international relations and peace research. He has published in a wide array of peer reviewed journals and popular outlets. His research interests include the intersection of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and robotics with global politics, military innovation, the role of leaders in international politics, and geopolitical forecasting methodology. Horowitz worked for the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Policy as a Council on Foreign Relations International Affairs Fellow.

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