Gala Dinner Speech of the Asan Washington Forum 2013 by Madeleine K. Albright, former Secretary of State of the United States and chair of the Albright Stonebridge Group, a global strategy firm, and chair of the Albright Capital Management LLC, an investment advisory firm focused on emerging markets.

To view photos from this event, please visit the gallery at Flickr

Secretary (Ret.) Madeleine K. Albright is chair of Albright Stonebridge Group, a global strategy firm, and chair of Albright Capital Management LLC, an investment advisory firm focused on emerging markets. Sec. Albright was the 64th Secretary of State of the United States. In 1997, she was named the first female Secretary of State and became, at that time, the highest-ranking woman in the history of the U.S. government. As Secretary of State, Albright reinforced America’s alliances, advocated democracy and human rights and promoted American trade and business, labor and environmental standards abroad. From 1993 to 1997, Albright served as the U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations and as a member of the President’s Cabinet. She is a professor in the Practice of Diplomacy at the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service. She chairs both the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs, the Pew Global Attitudes Project and serves as president of the Truman Scholarship Foundation. Albright serves on the U.S. Department of Defense’s Defense Policy Board, a group tasked with providing the secretary of defense with independent, informed advice and opinion concerning matters of defense policy. She also serves on the Board of Directors of the Council on Foreign Relations and the Board of Trustees for the Aspen Institute. In 2009, Albright was asked by NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen to chair a group of experts focused on developing NATO’s New Strategic Concept. On May 29, 2012 President Obama awarded the U.S. Medal of Freedom to Dr. Albright – the nation’s highest civilian honor – citing the inspiration her life is to all and that her scholarship and insight continue to make the world a better, more peaceful place.