Zalmay Khalilzad, Ph.D
in Washington, D.C.
January 26, 2009.

Zalmay Khalilzad, Ph.D., Chairman and CEO

Zalmay Khalilzad, Ph.D., served as U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan, Iraq and most recently the United Nations, before stepping down in January 2009. Prior to those positions, he served as Special Presidential Envoy to Afghanistan (2001-2003) and at the National Security Council as Special Assistant to the President for Islamic Outreach and Southwest Asia Initiatives, and as Special Assistant for Southwest Asia, Near East, and North African Affairs.

From 1985 to 1989, Ambassador Khalilzad served as Special Advisor to the Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, advising on policy issues, the Iran-Iraq war and the Soviet war in Afghanistan.

Between 1993 and 1999, Ambassador Khalilzad was Director of the Strategy, Doctrine and Force Structure program for RAND's Project Air Force. At RAND, he founded the Center for Middle Eastern Studies. Earlier in his career, he was an associate professor at the University of California at San Diego and an assistant professor of Political Science at Columbia University. He also served as an advisor to a major energy company on large-scale projects in the Middle East.

Ambassador Khalilzad earned his Bachelor's and Master's degrees from the American University of Beirut, Lebanon, as well as a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago. He is the author of more than 200 books, articles, studies, and reports. His work has been translated in many languages including Arabic, Chinese, German, Japanese and Turkish.

Ambassador Khalilzad has significant experience in the Middle East, North Africa, Central Asia, and across the globe. His experience and knowledge of the region is instrumental for global businesses that seek to successfully navigate these most promising and challenging international markets.

Robert Nichols, General Counsel (Outside)

Robert Nichols serves two roles - as outside General Counsel of Khalilzad Associates and a partner at the international law firm Crowell & Moring, which has a strategic alliance with Khalilzad Associates. Mr. Nichols is an expert on international commercial and government contracting and international dispute resolution and regularly advises companies on their work with the U.S. Government, foreign governments, the United Nations, and other NGOs. Mr. Nichols has extensive experience in the Middle East and North Africa, which is detailed on the Crowell & Moring website at http://www.crowell.com/Professionals/Robert-Nichols.

Mr. Nichols is an active lecturer and author, as well as the founder and advisory board chair of the International Government Contractor, a Thomson West publication. He has held leadership roles as chair and vice-char of the International Procurement Committees of American Bar Association Sections on Public Contract Law and International Law.

Mr. Nichols began his career as an active-duty military officer serving as a Judge Advocate General in the Honors Program of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, with a part-time assignment to the White House. He then clerked for the Honorable Raymond L. Finch, Chief Judge of the U.S. District Court for the U.S. Virgin Islands. He also served as a Congressional Fellow for the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee. Mr. Nichols obtained an LL.M. degree in international and comparative law from the Georgetown University Law Center and a juris doctor degree from the Arizona State University College of Law.

Eli Sugarman, Senior Associate

Eli Sugarman served as a Foreign Affairs Officer in the Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation at the U.S. Department of State where his portfolios covered regional security matters in the Middle East and Western Hemisphere. Previously, he worked for the Department of Commerce and in the Office of Senator Christopher Dodd.

Mr. Sugarman earned his juris doctor degree from Stanford University Law School, where he co-founded the Afghanistan Legal Education Project, and served as a Fellow of the Stanford Center on International Conflict and Negotiation, Submissions Chair for the Stanford Journal of International Law, and Co-President of the International Law Society. He co-authored a comprehensive legal textbook on Afghanistan as well as a forthcoming publication on commercial law and business dealings in Afghanistan.

Eli was a Visiting Fellow of the Foundation for International Relations and Foreign Dialogue in Madrid, Spain where he analyzed European foreign assistance to the developing world. He was also a Summer Associate at the international law firm of Hogan & Hartson LLP.

Mr. Sugarman earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in International Politics and Economics from Middlebury College, where he graduated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa. He is fluent in Spanish.

Noor Zahid, Associate

Noor Zahid earned his master's degree from Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service where he focused on development in the Middle East and North Africa region (MENA). Noor earned his bachelor's degree in Politics and Economics from Cairo University, Egypt.

Before Noor accepted a Presidential Fellowship at Georgetown University, he was promoted to General Director of Legislation for the Afghan Senate. Prior to that, he served as Director of the Department of Parliamentary Committees within the General Secretariat of the Afghan National Assembly (parliament). Noor took an active part in the establishment and the inauguration of the National Assembly in 2005 and the organization of its Lower House. Previously, he worked in the Cultural Affairs Section of the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, and for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and International Catholic Migration Commission (ICMC) in Pakistan.

Noor is a fellow of Central Eurasia Leadership Academy, an organization developed by the Society of International Business Fellows (SIBF) and other international partners, to empower a new generation of the most promising, mid-career leaders from Central Eurasia. He is fluent in Arabic, Farsi, Pashto, Urdu, and Hindi.

Omar al-Nidawi, Associate

Omar al-Nidawi is a highly regarded Iraq analyst and frequent contributor to the award winning blog, Iraq the Model. His is the author of numerous articles and reports on political, security and economic developments in post-Saddam Hussein Iraq and is regularly published in the Wall Street Journal and other major newspapers.

In his native Iraq, Omar was a pioneer of internet journalism and a strong advocate for freedom of expression. In 2007, World PC Magazine named him among the "50 most important people on the web" for his role in advancing citizen journalism and political debate.

Omar al-Nidawi earned his master's degree from Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs where he concentrated on Middle East Politics and International Security Policy. Omar earned his bachelor's degree in Dental Medicine and Surgery form Baghdad University.

Omar is a member of the Opinion Journal Federation and is fluent in Arabic.

Omar Shakir, Research Assistant

Omar Shakir is currently pursuing a master's degree in the Arab Studies Program at Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service, where he holds the prestigious Khaled Juffali Scholarship. As a Fulbright Scholar, Omar conducted research and published on the subject of contemporary economic reform in Syria. Omar earned his bachelor's degree in international relations from Stanford University, where he graduated with honors. He has studied at Oxford University and in Morocco and Egypt, participated in volunteer programs in the West Bank, Jordan, and Syria, and interned with the National Endowment for Democracy. Omar is fluent in modern Arabic.

Erbil Office:

Benar Azez, Senior Associate & Regional Director

Benar Azez earned his master's degree in public administration from Syracuse University, Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, as a Fulbright Scholar, where he focused on the politics of oil and conflict in Iraq. Mr. Azez conducted intensive research in international capital flows management, corruption in Iraq, and efficient Kurdistan Regional Government. He also earned an Advanced Certificate of Leadership of International and Non Government Organizations. In 2007, he was a public policy scholar at Woodrow Wilson Center for Scholars, where he researched the establishment of think tanks in Iraq, and economic development. Benar earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in English Language from Salahaddin University, Iraq. He served for five years with USAID in Iraq, which included work with the Kurdistan Regional Government Cabinet of Ministers. He was a Leaders for Democracy Fellow in the US Department of State-sponsored Middle East Partnership Initiatives (MEPI), where he received a certificate in politics and human rights. Benar is a co-founder of American-Kurdistan Friendship Association (AKFA). He is fluent in Kurdish, Arabic, English and Assyrian.

Kawa Mustafa, Associate

Kawa Mustafa earned his Bachelor's degree from the University of Salahaddin, Iraq and received specialized training in telecommunications systems and infrastructure in the UK between from 2003 and 2005. He subsequently worked with Inclarity Plc., a telecommunications firm based in the UK, where he consulted on the design of telecommunications systems in emerging markets, particularly Iraq. He also specialized in connecting emerging and growing markets with international telecommunications traffic through government and private companies.