 Charles
H. Rivkin
was nominated by President Barack Obama to be
Ambassador of the United States of America to France
and Monaco on June 1, 2009. He was sworn into
office by Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg
on August 3, 2009, following unanimous confirmation
of his nomination by the United States Senate.
Ambassador Rivkin is the youngest Ambassador in
nearly 60 years to serve as his country’s senior
representative in France. Embassy Paris is
America’s first and one of its largest diplomatic
missions, which now has seven constituent posts
throughout France and represents over 50 federal
agencies and departments.
Prior to his appointment, Ambassador Rivkin worked
in the media sector for over 20 years where he
served as President and CEO of award winning
entertainment companies such as The Jim Henson
Company and Wildbrain. His contribution to the
television landscape has impacted generations of
viewers and helped shape American popular culture.
In 2009, Ambassador Rivkin was named one of the 100
Most Creative People in Business by Fast Company.
A lifelong advocate of community service, Ambassador
Rivkin has held leadership positions with Save the
Children (1997-2003), Chrysalis-Changing Lives
through Jobs (1996-2002), and the Young Presidents’
Organization (1996-2009). In addition, he has been
actively involved in a number of organizations
dedicated to addressing foreign policy and national
security issues, including the Pacific Council on
International Policy and the Homeland Security
Advisory Council (HSAC). Ambassador Rivkin has been
politically active in his community and was selected
as a California Delegate to the Democratic National
Convention in both 2004 and 2008.
Ambassador Rivkin spent his early childhood in
Luxembourg, Senegal, and The Gambia where his
father, William R. Rivkin, was the United States
Ambassador under Presidents John Kennedy and Lyndon
Johnson. In honor of his father, Ambassador Rivkin
and his family have proudly presented the U.S. State
Department’s annual “Rivkin Award,” since 1968
encouraging “intellectual courage and constructive
dissent” among officers in the American Foreign
Service.
As a student, Ambassador Rivkin had the opportunity
to intern with French automobile manufacturer
Renault and to study at the Franco-American
Institute in Rennes. Ambassador Rivkin received his
bachelor's degree from Yale University in 1984,
graduating with distinction in political science and
international relations. He received his M.B.A.
from Harvard University in 1988.
Ambassador Rivkin resides at the American
Ambassador’s Residence in Paris with his wife, Susan
Tolson, and their children, Elias and Lily
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