The Director's Chair

In the first episode of The Director's Chair, a new Lowy Institute podcast, Michael Fullilove speaks with Susan Glasser of The New Yorker and Peter Baker of The New York Times about COVID-19, the Trump administration and America.
 
Susan Glasser is a staff writer at The New Yorker, where she writes the weekly Letter from Trump’s Washington. Peter Baker is the Chief White House Correspondent for The New York Times.

The Director’s Chair: Susan Glasser and Peter Baker on COVID-19, America and Trump

In the second episode of The Director's Chair, Michael Fullilove speaks with Lord Mervyn King about COVID-19, global economic downturn, the UK's response to the virus, Brexit, and what Lord King terms the 'radical uncertainty' of economic forecasting during a global crisis.

Lord King served as the Governor of the Bank of England from 2003 to 2013, including the period of the global financial crisis.

The Director’s Chair: Lord Mervyn King on COVID-19, radical uncertainty and economic forecasting

In this episode of The Director's Chair, Michael Fullilove speaks with former Italian Prime Minister, Enrico Letta, about running a major European power, his relationship with world leaders, global governance during COVID-19, and the future of the European project. 

Enrico Letta served as the Prime Minister of Italy from 2013 to 2014. He is the Dean of the Paris School of International Affairs at Sciences Po in Paris, one of the top international relations schools in the world.

The Director’s Chair: Enrico Letta on global leadership, COVID-19, and the European project

In this episode of The Director's Chair, Michael Fullilove speaks with former British Foreign Secretary, David Miliband, about Brexit, leadership of the Labour Party, the future of internationalism, and the direct impact of COVID-19 on unprepared health care systems and populations with pre-existing vulnerabilities.

David Miliband served as a Cabinet minister under Prime Ministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, including as Foreign Secretary from 2007 to 2010. He is President and CEO of the International Rescue Committee, where he oversees the agency’s humanitarian relief operations in more than forty war-affected countries and its refugee resettlement and assistance programs in over twenty US cities.

For more information on IRC's work, visit https://www.rescue.org/

The Director's Chair: David Miliband on British politics and COVID-19 in humanitarian crises

In this episode of The Director’s Chair, Michael Fullilove speaks with legendary Australian official Dennis Richardson about his storied career in the public service, prime ministers he has known, and the foreign policy challenges facing Australia – including how to manage our relationships with the United States and China.

Over the course of his 48-year career, Dennis Richardson AO served in many important jobs including Ambassador to the United States, Director-General of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, Secretary of the Department of Defence, and Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

The Director’s Chair: Dennis Richardson on Australian politics and foreign policy, the US and China

In this episode of The Director’s Chair, Michael Fullilove speaks with former diplomat, traveller, author and politician, Rory Stewart, a man whose life so far has been both conventional and highly unconventional.

Born in Hong Kong, Rory spent his childhood in Malaysia and Scotland, and passed through a number of establishment institutions including Eton, Balliol, the Black Watch, the Foreign Office and, according to speculation, the Secret Intelligence Service. He was a summer tutor to Princes William and Harry. And yet he has also repeatedly gone off-piste and done interesting and sometimes remarkable things, including walking 10,000km across Asia, and running as an independent candidate for mayor of London.

Rory and Michael speak about Rory's prescient response to the Covid-19 crisis, the disappointment of political life, the hollowing of the centre ground in British politics, and the Black Lives Matter movement.

The Director’s Chair: Rory Stewart on the adventures and disappointments of modern politics

In this episode of The Director’s Chair, Michael Fullilove speaks with diplomat, foreign policy intellectual and now Chancellor of the University of Queensland, Peter Varghese.

Peter had a distinguished career in the Australian public service over nearly four decades, representing our country abroad, running the foreign ministry and our key intelligence assessments agency and advising a prime minister. He is a rare beast: in addition to being a highly effective bureaucrat, Peter is an original thinker and an elegant writer.

Peter and Michael speak about the history and reality of race relations in Australia and growing up in the suburbs of Brisbane in the 1960s; Peter's time spent working with John Howard and the controversial foreign policy decision to participate in the US-led invasion of Iraq; his time as High Commissioner in New Delhi and his thoughts on the Australia-India bilateral relationship; the future of Australia's relationship with China; and American politics.

The Director's Chair: Peter Varghese reflects on an international life and career

In this episode of The Director’s Chair, Michael Fullilove speaks with Brookings Institution scholar, and former Russia adviser to President Donald Trump, Dr Fiona Hill.
 
Fiona is one of the world’s leading Russia experts. She has worked in the US government under Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, and then served for two years in the Trump Administration. At the end of 2019, Fiona became world-famous following her testimony in the impeachment hearings into Donald Trump’s presidency.
 
Michael and Fiona reflect on Fiona's journey from County Durham in northern England to the corridors of the White House in Washington DC, and discuss the British class system, the US foreign policy establishment, American partisan politics, US-Russia relations, and Donald Trump's relationship with Vladimir Putin.

The Director's Chair: Fiona Hill reflects on her journey from Bishop Auckland to the White House

In this episode of The Director’s Chair, Michael Fullilove speaks with the Secretary of the Department of Home Affairs, Mike Pezzullo. Mike Pezzullo is a lifelong official, described recently as ‘one of Australia’s most powerful public servants’. He has been a trusted adviser to both Labor and Coalition governments, the author of a Defence White Paper, and the prime mover behind a major restructure of Australia’s domestic security apparatus. He has been a senior staffer in both government and opposition as well as a public servant in the departments of Defence, Immigration and Customs, and Prime Minister and Cabinet.

Michael and Mike reflect on Mike’s childhood in southern Sydney and discuss China, cybersecurity, Australia’s response to COVID, evolution of the Five Eyes intelligence alliance, and Australian foreign policy.

The Director’s Chair: Mike Pezzullo on immigration, security and Australia’s place in the world

In this episode of The Director’s Chair, Michael Fullilove speaks with Jake Sullivan, the senior policy adviser to Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden. Jake Sullivan has held positions of trust for many of America’s leaders in the past two decades, as senior policy adviser to the last two Democratic presidential candidates, Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden; deputy chief of staff to Hillary Clinton when she was Secretary of State; and national security adviser to Vice President Joe Biden.
 
In part one of this episode, Jake speaks about growing up in the American Midwest, the death of George Floyd, imposter syndrome, and gender and the national security community. He also offers some observations about Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, Donald Trump and Joe Biden.

The Director’s Chair: Jake Sullivan on Donald Trump, Joe Biden and America’s role in the world

In this episode of The Director’s Chair, Michael Fullilove speaks with Jake Sullivan, the senior policy adviser to Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Joe Biden. Jake Sullivan has held positions of trust for many of America’s leaders in the past two decades, as senior policy adviser to the last two Democratic presidential candidates, Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden; deputy chief of staff to Hillary Clinton when she was Secretary of State; and national security adviser to Vice President Joe Biden.
 
In part two of this episode, Jake speaks with Michael about President Donald Trump’s relationship with Russia and his affinity for Vladimir Putin, US policy towards China, Biden’s approach to alliances, climate diplomacy and Australia – and whether Americans are still up for the challenge of global leadership.

The Director’s Chair: Jake Sullivan on Russia, China, climate diplomacy and Australia

In this episode of The Director’s Chair, Michael Fullilove speaks with Ambassador Nicholas Burns, Professor at Harvard University, Executive Director of the Aspen Strategy Group, and one of the leading American diplomats of his generation. Nick served in the US government for nearly three decades, holding senior positions under Presidents George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. He was a member of Secretary of State John Kerry’s Foreign Affairs Policy Board and a foreign policy adviser to Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign in 2016. He is also a foreign policy adviser to Vice President Joe Biden, the 2020 Democratic presidential nominee.
 
Michael and Nick discuss Nick’s career as an American diplomat serving in Nouakchott, Cairo, Jerusalem, Athens, Brussels and Washington, DC. They talk about ‘the unipolar moment’ after the end of the Cold War, America’s relations with Russia and China, and the Australia-US alliance. Nick also makes some observations about the working styles of George H.W. Bush, Brent Scowcroft, Bill Clinton, Condoleezza Rice and George W. Bush.

The Director’s Chair: Ambassador Nicholas Burns on diplomacy, presidents and American power

In this episode of The Director’s Chair, Michael Fullilove speaks with Australia’s Governor-General, His Excellency David Hurley. Mr Hurley joined the Australian Army in January 1972, graduating from the Royal Military College, Duntroon into the Royal Australian Infantry Corps. His military service culminated with his appointment as Chief of the Defence Force from 2011 to 2014. After serving as CDF, His Excellency was appointed Governor of NSW and then, in 2019, Governor-General of Australia. 

The Governor-General reflects on his career as an officer in the Australian Army and discusses some of his overseas deployments to the United Kingdom, Somalia, and Malaysia. He looks back at Australia’s involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan and talks about his experience representing the Australian community overseas as a vice regal representative and his work with Indigenous communities.

The Director’s Chair: Governor-General David Hurley on soldiering and representing Australia

In this episode of The Director’s Chair, Michael Fullilove speaks with Stephen Hadley, the former national security adviser to President George W. Bush. Throughout his long career, Steve Hadley worked for four American presidents – Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, George H.W. Bush, and George W. Bush.  He is Chairman of the Board of the United States Institute of Peace, a member of the Board of Directors of the Council on Foreign Relations, and a partner at Rice, Hadley, Gates & Manuel – an international consulting firm he co-founded with former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and former Secretary of Defense Bob Gates.
 
Mr Hadley discusses his upbringing and his memories of Hillary Clinton at Yale as well as his experiences serving alongside Brent Scowcroft, James Baker, Dick Cheney, Condoleezza Rice and George W. Bush. He also talks about the Afghanistan and Iraq wars and provides some observations on leadership, America’s response to COVID and China.

The Director’s Chair: Steve Hadley on his career, the individuals he met and the leaders he served

In this episode of The Director’s Chair, Michael Fullilove speaks with one of the world’s leading Trumpologists, Dr Thomas Wright. Tom is a Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution in Washington DC and a Nonresident Fellow at the Lowy Institute. His recent Lowy Institute Analysis, The Point of No Return: The 2020 Election and the Crisis of American Foreign Policy, examines implications of the 2020 US presidential election for Australia and the world.
 
Tom reflects on his childhood in Ireland, his experience working in the US foreign policy community as an immigrant, and takes listeners on a guided tour of the world views of President Donald Trump and Vice President Joe Biden. He examines what a second Trump term, and a first Biden term, would mean for US policies on China, alliances, and global trade. He also discusses the stakes for Australia.

The Director’s Chair: Dr Thomas Wright on the 2020 presidential election and US foreign policy

In this episode of The Director’s Chair, Michael Fullilove speaks with Professor Robert Dallek, the distinguished presidential historian. Professor Dallek is a prize-winning author who has written books about Franklin D. Roosevelt, Richard Nixon, Lyndon B. Johnson and many other American presidents. Previously he has taught at Columbia, UCLA, Oxford and the University of Texas.


Professor Dallek discusses his upbringing in Brooklyn during the Great Depression, his thoughts on the enduring popularity of President Kennedy, and provides an early assessment of President Donald Trump's legacy. He analyses the recent election results and makes some predictions as to the shape of Joe Biden’s presidency.

The Director’s Chair: Dr Robert Dallek on the U.S. presidency and the 2020 election

In this episode of The Director’s Chair, Michael Fullilove speaks with one of the leading US Democratic voices on foreign policy, Kurt Campbell.  From 2009 to 2013, Kurt served as the Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs under Secretary Clinton in the Obama administration, where he is widely credited as a key architect of the “pivot to Asia.” He is CEO of The Asia Group, and serves as Chairman of the Board of the Center for a New American Security, which he co-founded with Michèle Flournoy in 2007. 
 
Michael and Kurt discuss Kurt’s upbringing, his working life, President-elect Biden’s likely policy towards Asia, the current disagreement between Canberra and Beijing, and future relations between the Biden administration and the Morrison government.

The Director’s Chair: Dr Kurt Campbell on pivoting to Asia and competition with China

In this episode of The Director’s Chair, Michael Fullilove speaks with Evan Osnos, the award-winning journalist, author and staff writer for The New Yorker. In 2014 he published a book on China, Age of Ambition, which won the National Book Award. Evan recently released an insightful and highly readable biography of the President-elect, Joe Biden: American Dreamer. 

Michael and Evan discuss Joe Biden’s first presidential campaign in 1988, his record as Barack Obama’s Vice President, and analyse the team he will take into government. Evan provides insight into Biden’s relationship with Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, his love for ‘the connect’, and the approach that President Biden will take to China and the world.

The Director’s Chair: Biographer Evan Osnos on President-elect Joe Biden.

In this episode of The Director’s Chair, Michael Fullilove speaks with General David Petraeus who led the 2007 surge in Iraq, headed up the US Central Command, commanded US and NATO forces in Afghanistan, and served as director of the CIA.

Michael and David discuss America’s involvement in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, reflect on President Biden’s approach to the use of force, and the Capitol riots of January 6. David provides insight into the future of the US-China relationship, shares his impressions of President Biden’s foreign policy team, and evaluates the legacy of the Trump presidency.

The Director’s Chair: General David Petraeus on his career, the Biden administration, and China.

In this episode of The Director’s Chair, Michael Fullilove speaks with the Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Frances Adamson. Over the course of her career, Frances has represented Australia’s interests in Europe and Asia and advised foreign ministers and prime ministers.  

Michael and Frances discuss relations with China, recent events in Myanmar, and how DFAT is helping Australians abroad during the pandemic. Frances reflects on why she joined DFAT, nominates Australian and foreign leaders who have impressed her, and talks about the distinctiveness of Australian diplomacy.

The Director’s Chair: Frances Adamson on her career, Australian diplomacy and relations with China

The Lowy Institute is an independent, nonpartisan international policy think tank located in Sydney, Australia. The Institute provides high-quality research and distinctive perspectives on foreign policy trends shaping Australia and the world. We host podcasts with high-level guest speakers as well as our own experts. Essential listening for anyone seeking to better understand foreign policy challenges!