Daniel Shields

As a retired Ambassador, Daniel Shields lectures, teaches courses, and conducts simulations relating to diplomacy and the Indo-Pacific region. From 2015 to 2018, he served as the Diplomatic Advisor to the Commandant at the U.S. Army War College, helping to educate future strategic leaders on how to integrate diplomatic, informational, military, economic (DIME), and other instruments of power to achieve national security objectives. In response to a request from the U.S. Department of State, Daniel served as the Chargé d’Affaires of the U.S. Mission to ASEAN in Jakarta in 2017, traveling to Manila to support participation of the U.S. President and Cabinet Secretaries in ASEAN-related summits. He served as the U.S. Ambassador to Brunei from 2011 to 2014, handling sensitive South China Sea-related issues in connection with Brunei’s 2013 hosting of various summits involving the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). In 2009 to 2010, he served as Chargé d’Affaires of the U.S. Mission to Singapore, supporting the President’s participation in Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meetings.

Daniel’s early to mid-career assignments were primarily in Japan and China, including a posting as Political Minister Counselor at Embassy Beijing from 2004 to 2007, during the Six-Party Talks regarding the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue. He is fluent in Japanese and Chinese. Daniel’s first tour in the Foreign Service was as a Vice Consul at Embassy Manila from 1985 to 1987, where he observed and reported on the People Power Revolution and the fall of the Ferdinand Marcos regime.

Daniel holds an MS from the National War College at the National Defense University and a BS from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service. He currently resides in Carlisle, Pennsylvania with his wife Sangeeta and his daughter.