Dan Senor
Encyclopedia
Daniel Samuel Senor, known as Dan Senor (ˈsiːnər; born November 6, 1971), is a founding partner of Rosemont Capital LLC, and Rosemont Solebury Capital Management. He is also a Fox News contributor and a frequent contributor to The Wall Street Journal
among other publications. He is co-author the book Start-up Nation: The Story of Israel's Economic Miracle, about the economy of Israel and globalization in the Middle East. Senor is most noted for his former position as chief spokesperson for the Coalition Provisional Authority
in Iraq. He is married to television news personality Campbell Brown
.
, New York
, and grew up in Toronto
, Ontario
. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Western Ontario
and Hebrew University in Jerusalem and received an MBA
from Harvard in 2001.
(R-MI).
From 2001 to 2003, he was an investment professional at the Carlyle Group
.
According to Gal Beckerman of Forward magazine, Senor has "close ties to the neoconservative intellectual scene". He recently declined an opportunity to run as a Republican for the United States Senate
, opting instead to initiate a new think tank
, the Foreign Policy Initiative, together with neoconservatives William Kristol
and Robert Kagan
.
and during the fighting, Senor was a Pentagon and White House advisor based in Doha, Qatar at U.S. Central Command Forward; he was subsequently based in Kuwait working with General Jay Garner
during the final days of the fighting and in southern Iraq when the Iraqi regime fell.
Senor formally re-located to Baghdad on April 20, 2003, when he traveled with General Garner’s team in the first post-war civilian convoy, less than two weeks after the fall of Saddam Hussein
, becoming one of the first American civilians to enter Baghdad
. In Iraq, Senor served as Chief Spokesperson for the Coalition Provisional Authority
(CPA) in Iraq, a Senior Advisor to Ambassador L. Paul Bremer
, and an adviser to the Office of Reconstruction and Humanitarian Assistance.
Senor remained in Iraq until the summer of 2004. His 15 months working for the CPA from Baghdad made him one of the longest-serving American civilians in Iraq. For his service, he was awarded the Department of Defense Distinguished Civilian Service Award, one of the Pentagon’s highest civilian honors.
Senor is an Adjunct Senior Fellow for Middle East Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations
. He has hosted two investigative documentaries on Iraq and Iran for Fox News, where he is a contributor. He is also published frequently by The Wall Street Journal
, and has authored pieces for The New York Times
, The Washington Post
, The New York Post, and The Weekly Standard
.
President George W. Bush
appointed Senor in May 2008 to serve on the Honorary Delegation to accompany him to Jerusalem for the celebration of the 60th anniversary of the State of Israel.
In March 2010, national Republican leaders encouraged Senor to run against freshman Senator Kirsten Gillibrand
in New York. Senor was reported to be seriously considering a challenge, although he ultimately decided against it, saying in a statement this "wasn't the right time in my family and business life for me to run."
, then weekend anchor of The Today Show on NBC
and host of Campbell Brown formerly on CNN
. They have two children. His father-in-law is former Louisiana Insurance Commissioner and Secretary of State James H. "Jim" Brown, a Democrat
.
The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal is an American English-language international daily newspaper. It is published in New York City by Dow Jones & Company, a division of News Corporation, along with the Asian and European editions of the Journal....
among other publications. He is co-author the book Start-up Nation: The Story of Israel's Economic Miracle, about the economy of Israel and globalization in the Middle East. Senor is most noted for his former position as chief spokesperson for the Coalition Provisional Authority
Coalition Provisional Authority
The Coalition Provisional Authority was established as a transitional government following the invasion of Iraq by the United States and its allies, members of the Multi-National Force – Iraq which was formed to oust the government of Saddam Hussein in 2003...
in Iraq. He is married to television news personality Campbell Brown
Campbell Brown
Campbell Brown is an American television news reporter and anchor. She previously hosted an eponymous primetime show on CNN and was formerly co-anchor of NBC's Weekend Today...
.
Early life and education
Senor was born in UticaUtica, New York
Utica is a city in and the county seat of Oneida County, New York, United States. The population was 62,235 at the 2010 census, an increase of 2.6% from the 2000 census....
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, and grew up in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Western Ontario
University of Western Ontario
The University of Western Ontario is a public research university located in London, Ontario, Canada. The university's main campus covers of land, with the Thames River cutting through the eastern portion of the main campus. Western administers its programs through 12 different faculties and...
and Hebrew University in Jerusalem and received an MBA
Master of Business Administration
The Master of Business Administration is a :master's degree in business administration, which attracts people from a wide range of academic disciplines. The MBA designation originated in the United States, emerging from the late 19th century as the country industrialized and companies sought out...
from Harvard in 2001.
Early career
Senor spent much of the 1990s working in Congress, as both a foreign policy advisor and Communications Director to former U.S. Senator and Energy Secretary Spencer AbrahamSpencer Abraham
Edmund Spencer Abraham is a former United States Senator from Michigan. He served as the tenth United States Secretary of Energy, serving under President George W. Bush. Abraham is one of the founders of the Federalist Society....
(R-MI).
From 2001 to 2003, he was an investment professional at the Carlyle Group
Carlyle Group
The Carlyle Group is an American-based global asset management firm, specializing in private equity, based in Washington, D.C. The Carlyle Group operates in four business areas: corporate private equity, real assets, market strategies and fund-of-funds, through its AlpInvest subsidiary...
.
According to Gal Beckerman of Forward magazine, Senor has "close ties to the neoconservative intellectual scene". He recently declined an opportunity to run as a Republican for the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
, opting instead to initiate a new think tank
Think tank
A think tank is an organization that conducts research and engages in advocacy in areas such as social policy, political strategy, economics, military, and technology issues. Most think tanks are non-profit organizations, which some countries such as the United States and Canada provide with tax...
, the Foreign Policy Initiative, together with neoconservatives William Kristol
William Kristol
William Kristol is an American neoconservative political analyst and commentator. He is the founder and editor of the political magazine The Weekly Standard and a regular commentator on the Fox News Channel....
and Robert Kagan
Robert Kagan
Robert Kagan is an American historian and foreign policy commentator.-Early life and education:Kagan graduated from Yale University in 1980 where he was tapped by Skull and Bones, studied history, and founded the Yale Political Monthly. He later earned an MPP from the John F...
.
Iraq
In the lead-up to the 2003 invasion of Iraq2003 invasion of Iraq
The 2003 invasion of Iraq , was the start of the conflict known as the Iraq War, or Operation Iraqi Freedom, in which a combined force of troops from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Poland invaded Iraq and toppled the regime of Saddam Hussein in 21 days of major combat operations...
and during the fighting, Senor was a Pentagon and White House advisor based in Doha, Qatar at U.S. Central Command Forward; he was subsequently based in Kuwait working with General Jay Garner
Jay Garner
Jay Montgomery Garner is a retired United States Army lieutenant general who was appointed in 2003 as Director of the Office for Reconstruction and Humanitarian Assistance for Iraq following the 2003 invasion of Iraq but was soon replaced by Ambassador Paul Bremer and the ambassador's successor...
during the final days of the fighting and in southern Iraq when the Iraqi regime fell.
Senor formally re-located to Baghdad on April 20, 2003, when he traveled with General Garner’s team in the first post-war civilian convoy, less than two weeks after the fall of Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti was the fifth President of Iraq, serving in this capacity from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003...
, becoming one of the first American civilians to enter Baghdad
Baghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
. In Iraq, Senor served as Chief Spokesperson for the Coalition Provisional Authority
Coalition Provisional Authority
The Coalition Provisional Authority was established as a transitional government following the invasion of Iraq by the United States and its allies, members of the Multi-National Force – Iraq which was formed to oust the government of Saddam Hussein in 2003...
(CPA) in Iraq, a Senior Advisor to Ambassador L. Paul Bremer
L. Paul Bremer
Lewis Paul "Jerry" Bremer III is an American diplomat. He is most notable for being the U.S. Administrator to Iraq charged with overseeing the country's occupation after the 2003 invasion. In his role as head of the Coalition Provisional Authority, he reported primarily to the U.S. Secretary of...
, and an adviser to the Office of Reconstruction and Humanitarian Assistance.
Senor remained in Iraq until the summer of 2004. His 15 months working for the CPA from Baghdad made him one of the longest-serving American civilians in Iraq. For his service, he was awarded the Department of Defense Distinguished Civilian Service Award, one of the Pentagon’s highest civilian honors.
Current activities
Senor is the co-author of Start-up Nation: The Story of Israel's Economic Miracle, with Saul Singer. The book was published by Twelve books in November 2009 and examines the entrepreneurial economy of Israel and explores the cultural and social environment supporting it. The book has provoked a wide range of responses, from positive reviews that hail its research and portrayal of often-neglected facets of Israeli society, to negative reviews that claim the book implicitly justifies never-ending conflict in the region by positing the conflict of an engine of Israeli productivity and innovation.Senor is an Adjunct Senior Fellow for Middle East Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations
Council on Foreign Relations
The Council on Foreign Relations is an American nonprofit nonpartisan membership organization, publisher, and think tank specializing in U.S. foreign policy and international affairs...
. He has hosted two investigative documentaries on Iraq and Iran for Fox News, where he is a contributor. He is also published frequently by The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal is an American English-language international daily newspaper. It is published in New York City by Dow Jones & Company, a division of News Corporation, along with the Asian and European editions of the Journal....
, and has authored pieces for The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
, The New York Post, and The Weekly Standard
The Weekly Standard
The Weekly Standard is an American neoconservative opinion magazine published 48 times per year. Its founding publisher, News Corporation, debuted the title September 18, 1995. Currently edited by founder William Kristol and Fred Barnes, the Standard has been described as a "redoubt of...
.
President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
appointed Senor in May 2008 to serve on the Honorary Delegation to accompany him to Jerusalem for the celebration of the 60th anniversary of the State of Israel.
In March 2010, national Republican leaders encouraged Senor to run against freshman Senator Kirsten Gillibrand
Kirsten Gillibrand
Kirsten Elizabeth Rutnik Gillibrand is an attorney and the junior United States Senator from the state of New York and a member of the Democratic Party...
in New York. Senor was reported to be seriously considering a challenge, although he ultimately decided against it, saying in a statement this "wasn't the right time in my family and business life for me to run."
Personal life
In April 2006, Senor married Campbell BrownCampbell Brown
Campbell Brown is an American television news reporter and anchor. She previously hosted an eponymous primetime show on CNN and was formerly co-anchor of NBC's Weekend Today...
, then weekend anchor of The Today Show on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
and host of Campbell Brown formerly on CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
. They have two children. His father-in-law is former Louisiana Insurance Commissioner and Secretary of State James H. "Jim" Brown, a Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
.