Peter Schechter

Peter Schechter is a consultant and is the executive producer and host of Altamar, a foreign policy podcast. Until June, 2017 he was the Atlantic Council's Senior Vice President for Strategic Initiatives and the founding director of the Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center, a Washington-based think tank launched in October 2013 to study the trends transforming Latin America.

Peter Schechter
Born1959
Rome
NationalityUnited States
EducationPaul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies
Johns Hopkins University
Occupationconsultant, author, goat farmer, think tank executive
TitleExecutive Producer and Host of Altamar, A Foreign Policy Podcast
Spouse(s)Rosa Puech
ChildrenAlia, Marina
Website

Born in 1959 in Rome, Schechter was raised in Italy, Bolivia, and Venezuela. He has a Master's from the Johns Hopkins’ Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies. He is fluent in six languages: English, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, French, and German.

Biography

From 1987 to 1992, Schechter worked as a political consultant for the Sawyer Miller Group. In 1993, he became a founding partner of Chlopak, Leonard, Schechter and Associates, a Washington, DC-based public relations company. Schechter has worked as election advisor in nearly every country in Latin America, including work for a number of current presidents. Past clients include Venezuela opposition leader Henrique Capriles, President Alvaro Uribe of Colombia (his fourth presidential client from Colombia); President Fernando Henrique Cardoso of Brazil and Honduran interim President Roberto Micheletti.[1][2]

Working with Micheletti put Schechter's firm in the spotlight and sparked letters of condemnation.[3] On October 19, 2009 a protest took place in front of the firm's Washington, DC office in response to its work on behalf of the interim Honduran government.[4] According to Foreign Agents Registration filings with the US Department of Justice, the firm received over $292,000 to boost the interim regime's image in the US.[5]

Schechter is an adjunct professor at George Washington University in DC and a visiting professor at Ben Gurion University’s Faculty of Business and Management. He also serves on BGU's Board of Governors.

Schechter is also a goat farmer in Virginia, co-owner with chef José Andrés of five successful Washington restaurants (including prize-winning Jaleo and Zaytinya), co-proprietor of Agur Winery in Israel, and a critically acclaimed author. Schechter published his first novel, Point of Entry, in 2006. The Washington Post called it “fast moving.” The Chicago Tribune said it is “as good as this kind of writing gets.” The St. Louis Post Dispatch said the plot is “why-didn’t I think-of-that-clever.” Newsweek called it “a rip-roaring novel about terrorism, nuclear plots and presidential dating.” The Boston Globe declared it “entertaining.” His second book, Pipeline, was published in 2009.

Peter Schechter lives in Washington, DC with his Spanish wife Rosa and two daughters Alia and Marina.

References
  1. "Honduran government hires fiction writer to hawk coup regime", Narcosphere, 28 September 2009; retrieved November 2009.
  2. "Honduran government hires PR shop", The Hill, 27 September 2009; retrieved November 2009.
  3. Letters to Chlopak, Leonard, Schechter and Associates, 17 October 2009; retrieved January 2010.
  4. "Lobbyists for Honduras coup plotter gets office protest" Archived 2012-07-13 at Archive.today, DC Indymedia, 19 October 2009; retrieved November 2009.
  5. Contract filing for Chlopak, Leonard, Schechter and Associates, Inc., Foreign Agent Registration Unit, 21 October 2009; retrieved November 2009.
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