Brooks Spector

J. Brooks Spector brings over three decades of global diplomatic service to his speaking and analysis, having served as a senior American foreign affairs official across Africa and Asia. A career diplomat with postings in South Africa, Japan, Indonesia, Swaziland, and Nigeria, Spector held cultural attaché and public affairs positions that shaped US engagement in complex geopolitical contexts. His career has been recognised with multiple US State Department Meritorious and Superior Honour Awards for innovation, leadership, and bridge-building in global diplomacy — including key contributions to post-apartheid South Africa and US-Japan relations.

Spector is uniquely equipped to speak on:

• US Foreign Policy & Elections
• Transitional Justice & Conflict Resolution
• Sub-Saharan African Political Dynamics
• Cultural Diplomacy & Public Affairs
• East Asian Political History and U.S.-Asia Relations

He has deep scholarly and policy expertise in Indonesian and Japanese political contexts, American studies, and the role of the arts in diplomacy. A frequent contributor to public conversations on accountability, reconciliation, and the mechanics of peace-building, Spector draws on a lifetime of international service and cultural immersion.

Since retiring from the US Foreign Service in 2003, Spector has remained a vital public voice on international affairs. As the founding associate editor of the Daily Maverick, he’s contributed hundreds of analytical columns on US foreign policy, African development, and global conflict. His expertise has been sought by NBC News, CNN, BBC Radio, SABC, Newsroom Africa, and a range of global and local media outlets. In South Africa, he has consulted for CARE International, lectured at the University of the Witwatersrand, and served as interim CEO of Johannesburg’s iconic Market Theatre.

Measured, articulate, and steeped in lived experience, Spector brings contextual clarity and historical insight to the most urgent political debates of our time. Whether unpacking the complexities of US elections or examining post-conflict transitions, his style is thoughtful, engaging, and rich with anecdotes from his years in diplomacy. Audiences appreciate his ability to draw connections across continents, and to humanise the often-abstract machinery of geopolitics.