Suzanne DiMaggio

Suzanne DiMaggio is long-time analyst of U.S. Foreign Policy in Asia and the Middle East and a leading practitioner of Track II diplomacy. Her work is especially focused on U.S. relations with Iran and North Korea.

Early life
DiMaggio's mother was Japanese and her father Italian. DiMaggio has a B.A. in international business from New York University and an M.A. in international relations from City College of New York (CUNY).

Career
From 1993-98, she was a program officer at the United Nations University. From 1998-2007, DiMaggio was the vice president of Policy Programs at the United Nations Association of the United States. In 2002, she began facilitating a high-level dialogue with European states, Iran, and the United States.

From 2007-14, she was the vice president of Global Policy Programs at the Asia Society. From 2014-2018, DiMaggio was a senior fellow at New America (organization) (2014-2018).

DiMaggio is a Senior Fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. She directs the U.S.-Iran Initiative and a U.S.-DPRK dialogue. She is also an Associate Senior Fellow in the SIPRI Disarmament, Arms Control and Non-proliferation Programme. DiMaggio also directs the IranProject.

In 2017, when the Trump administration had limited contact with North Korea, one report described DiMaggio as "a de facto ambassador for the United States" to North Korea. She favored a diplomatic resolution rather than force-based and militarized pathways. She described her philosophy: “Negotiating with the enemy is extremely difficult, but it's not impossible.”

DiMaggio is a co-founder and the former chair of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft. A key aim, in her words, was "to push back on the mindset that leads to and facilitates endless war."

Personal life
DiMaggio resides in New York City's Greenwich Village with her husband, Ben Allison, and daughter.