Mary Kissel

Ms. Kissel is Executive Vice President and Senior Policy Advisor at Stephens Inc., a privately held, independent financial services firm. She joined Stephens in March 2021, following her role as Senior Advisor to the U.S. Secretary of State. While serving in government, Ms. Kissel played a key role in the reorientation of the U.S.-China relationship, conducted special projects for the Secretary, and traveled to more than 60 countries. 

Prior to joining the State Department, Ms. Kissel had a long and distinguished career on The Wall Street Journal editorial board, where she served as chief foreign policy commentator, based in New York, and editorial-page editor for Asia-Pacific, based in Hong Kong. She began her career at Goldman Sachs. 

Ms. Kissel is vice chairman of the board of directors of RXO, Inc., and serves as a director of QXO, Inc. and the American Australian Council. She appears regularly on major television stations, radio networks, and podcasts around the world. Ms. Kissel is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, and a graduate of Harvard University and the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies.