Dave Williams’ experience covers many of the topics central to the Maldives’ desire for economic growth and security: finance, trade, renewable and traditional energy, transportation, infrastructure, and sanctions. In Brussels, he delivered sanctions successes with the EU on Venezuela, Russia, chemical and biological weapons and human rights. He negotiated a nuclear deal and created a venture capital fund with the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy in India and developed a commercial alternative to State Department K Fund flights to repatriate 60,000 Americans at the beginning of the pandemic. His commercial repatriation model was so successful, the Under Secretary for Management placed our SOPs into the Foreign Affairs Manual. Dave and his aviation team conjured ways to bring planeloads of at-risk Afghans, many without passports, past the Taliban and onto U.S. military bases or to third countries. He now brings the same level of enthusiasm, creativity, and policy acumen to lead Embassy Malé.
His postings include:
– Chief of Mission, Maldives, 2026-Present
– Economic Counselor, Malaysia, 2022-26
– Director, Office of Aviation Negations, DC 2019-22
– Economic Security Unit Chief, USEU, Belgium, 2016-19
– Transatlantic Diplomatic Fellow, European Commission, Belgium, 2015-16
– Energy Unit Chief, New Delhi, India 2012-15
– Economic Officer, Malaysia, 2009-12
– Other Economic and consular postings in DC, Indonesia, and Sri Lanka (Maldives)