James C. O'Brien

James C. O'Brien is an American attorney and diplomat who serves as assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs. He previously served as head of the Office of Sanctions Coordination in the Biden administration from April 14, 2022 to October 5, 2023 and as the special envoy for hostage affairs from August 28, 2015 to January 20, 2017.

Education
In 1978, O'Brien graduated from Creighton Preparatory School in Omaha, Nebraska. He earned a BA from Macalester College, his MA from the University of Pittsburgh, and his JD from Yale Law School.

Career
O'Brien joined the United States Department of State in 1989 as an attorney and diplomatic advisor. He later served as special presidential envoy for the Balkans, deputy director of the State Department's Office of Policy Planning, and as a senior adviser to the ambassador to the United Nations and secretary of state Madeleine Albright. O'Brien also had a role in managing the Dayton Agreement, a peace deal between Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, and Serbia.

From August 28, 2015 to January 20, 2017, O'Brien served as the first special envoy for hostage affairs in the Obama administration. Since leaving his position, O'Brien has worked as a co-founder and principal at the Albright Stonebridge Group.

Office of Sanctions Coordination
In October 2021, O'Brien was nominated to serve as Head of the Office of Sanctions Coordination in the Biden administration, a position with the rank of ambassador. Hearings on his nomination were held before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on January 12, 2022. The committee favorably reported his nomination on March 8, 2022. On April 6, 2022, his nomination was confirmed in the United States Senate by a 71–26 vote. O'Brien was sworn in on April 14, 2022.

European & Eurasian Affairs Nomination
On May 19, 2023, President Joe Biden nominated O'Brien to be an assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs. On October 4, 2023 his nomination was confirmed in the Senate by a 67–31 vote.