Ambassador (Rtd) Howard Gutman continues to build on an amazing career that has spanned the public and private sectors, both sides of the Atlantic and both sides of the political aisle, from K Street, to Silicon Valley, to Wall Street, to Hollywood and to Brussels, the heart of the European Union and NATO. Dubbed by European press as “The Ambassador Who Makes Us Love America Again “ and “the most popular ambassador ever in Belgium,” Ambassador Gutman in mid-2013 completed four years of service as the U.S. Ambassador to Belgium, the third longest serving such ambassador in over 100 years. According to the May 2012 Gallup International Poll, Belgium in this period finished first in the world with the highest increase in its favorability towards U.S. leadership. Ambassador Gutman has long become one of the most well-known and admired public figures in the heart of Europe, having appeared on European television well over 100 times, ranging from Sunday news shows to late night entertainment programs to awarding the final award for “Song of the Year” on the equivalent of the Belgian Grammy awards.
Since completing the Ambassadorship, Ambassador (Rtd) Gutman has been the Managing Director of The Gutman Group. The Gutman Group is a diversified global consulting, investment, and transactional practice. Its services range from consulting and advisory covering business, legal, political, geopolitical, and public relations opportunities and challenges; affiliation with certain investment funds and investment opportunities; assistance on transactions, sales, and developing business relationships; venture capital and private equity; service on boards; media appearances, publications and speeches; and public relations.
Ambassador (Rtd) Gutman continues to be widely-featured commentator and media guest. In the United States, he appears regularly on Fox News and Fox Business News (though a Democrat) speaking on such issues as American and global politics, terrorism, foreign affairs, the Holocaust, and geopolitical events. Ambassador (Rtd) Gutman is a frequent contributor to the Washington Post, Politico and Huffington Post. In Europe, Ambassador (Rtd) Howard Gutman appears regularly on Belgian television, including on the leading Flemish programs De Zevende Dag, Van Gils & Gasten, and Terzake. He was the in-studio election commentator on VTM television throughout Election night 2016, the election of Donald Trump over Hillary Clinton.
Ambassador (Rtd) Howard Gutman is also a sought-after and widely-booked speaker throughout Europe and the United States, having given literally hundreds of speeches in Belgium and the United States, as well as in Denmark and the United Kingdom. A leading thinker and speaker of our time, Ambassador Gutman speaks often to business and investment gatherings, civic groups, universities, government gatherings and more. After learning about one of Ambassador Gutman’s speeches on the business, economics and geopolitics of climate change, Prince Charles of the United Kingdom set up a one-on-one meeting to discuss the speech. After attending another of Ambassador Gutman’s speeches on the wars in Europe and messages for society today, four United States Senators (Democrats and Republicans) placed the speech into the Congressional Record. The Belgian Foreign Ministry recently chose Ambassador (Rtd) Gutman to be its keynote speaker for a conference of hundreds of foreign diplomats from around the world stationed in Brussels. And his recent Ted Talk – “The Irrelevance of Government in the Brave New World” (explaining how technology has made government ever-the-more obsolete) continues to earn acclaim. Ambassador Gutman’s most popular current speeches include “Trump and the New Opportunities for European Businesses and Governments” (in the U.S. it is “Trump and Challenges and Opportunities for CEOs and Businesses”😉 “Seeing Tomorrow: Geopolitics and Pocketbooks” (covering how changes in the world and the changes of tomorrow present opportunities and challenges, particularly for our economy today); “Swing Hard . . . In Case You Hit”, his inspirational speech often directed often at university campuses and millennials focused on how to rise to the top in business, law, Hollywood, finance, politics, media, and all of the above; as well as “Lessons for the 21st Century” (designed for students, entrepreneurs, governments and more focusing on the lessons of today and the better tomorrow). Ambassador (Rtd) Gutman’s recent speech “Personal Reflections on the Holocaust,” detailing his uncovering the truth of his father’s 27-month survival in the Polish woods and the messages that journey held as to both the applicability of the law to 70-year-old war atrocities and the implications for the future of Poland has received much acclaim, including from Board members at the U.S. Holocaust Museum in Washington DC (who have now submitted it to the museum.)
Ambassador Gutman brought a rich and diverse background to the diplomatic corps. He previously was a senior partner with the Washington D.C. law firm of Williams & Connolly LLP. Identified as one of “Washington’s Top Lawyers” by Washingtonian magazine (December 2004, December 2007) and selected to numerous “Superlawyers” and similar attorney award lists, Mr. Gutman’s areas of practice spanned the full gamut of litigation, investigation, and counseling matters. Earlier in his career, during the Reagan administration, Ambassador Gutman served as a Special Assistant to F.B.I Director William H. Webster, focusing on counter-terrorism and counter-intelligence; as a law clerk to Justice Potter Stewart (Rtd) on the United States Supreme Court; and as a law clerk to Judge Irving L. Goldberg on the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. He is a 1980 graduate of Harvard Law School and a 1977 graduate of Columbia University. Ambassador Gutman has served as an adviser to a variety of candidates, including assisting in races for President, Governor, Senate, and Congress.
In addition to being a contributor to numerous television and radio programs, Ambassador (Rtd) Gutman is also a member of the Screen Actors Guild, having appeared in several episodes of the HBO series “K Street,” playing (not surprisingly) a Washington attorney and has made other movie and media appearances, including playing Tim Robbins’ lawyer in “Noise” and a high school parent in the 2009 release of “Fame.” Ambassador Gutman is a 1977 graduate of Columbia University and a 1980 graduate from Harvard Law School. He is married to Dr. Michelle Loewinger, a dentist turned consultant, and has two grown sons.
For some examples of articles, speeches, tv appearances, see:
TEDxTAlk on “How Technology Makes Government Irrelevant”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MX8dzDyjkWE
Speech to World Affairs Council of Orange County: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q947zLBVqHk
Ambassador Gutman re Trump on De Afspraak: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cX1I2gi3-p8
Personal Reflections on the Holocaust – Speech in Buffalo NY: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VEN5SH-JB7U
“Lessons for the 21st Century” Here is the first half: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfX8VjFckXg
Here is the second half: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmKt5alWAPI
“Could There Be A Day That Better Represents America? Could This Be That Dream?” http://usembe.ning.com/video/ambassador-gutman-lincoln-premiere-speech
“Today There Are No Tears” on the occasion of the 10 year anniversary of 9-11. Here it is: http://usembe.ning.com/video/ambassador-gutman-s-9-11-remarks
Washington Post Sunday Magazine Cover Story: The Ambassador’s Tale: Lessons I Learned About Success and Scandal http://wapo.st/2jCRUv7
Fox Business on Trump, U.S. and NATO: http://video.foxbusiness.com/v/5284211718001/?#sp=show-clips
Washington Post – White House 2031 https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/forget-about-2016-heres-the-early-look-at-the-white-house-in-2031/2015/08/07/43e8dcd4-3c81-11e5-b3ac-8a79bc44e5e2_story.html
Washington Post – Clinton’s Enthusiasm Gap – http://wapo.st/1Mupgtu
Washington Post — Nikki Haley President — http://wapo.st/24cfO6m
Politico — Trump indictment — http://politi.co/1R9oduF
Politico — Why Sanders is good for Clinton —http://politi.co/1QWK9Mw
Huffington Post –Trump and the Repubs http://huff.to/1QpTrkg
Ambassador (Rtd) Gutman is represented by leading Speaker Bureaus in the U.S. and Europe, but can be booked directly. Interested parties should contact The Gutman Group by sending an email to howard.gutman@gmail.com