Safiya Ghori-Ahmad

Safiya Ghori-Ahmad, a global strategic advisor with deep experience counseling government leaders and C-suite executives on political, regulatory and geopolitical risks joined APCO Worldwide as the global public affairs lead in Washington, D.C.

Safiya has a deep understanding and command of the intricate relationships at the intersection of government and business in the United States and key markets around the world. She brings a strong global network of key corporate and government leaders and a proven track record of formulating successful market entry strategies as well as government relations and corporate development strategies. She has particular experience in connections in and relating to India and wider South Asia.

Prior to joining APCO, Safiya served as a senior managing director at McLarty Associates, where she advised global investors and multinational companies on government affairs and go-to-market strategies—maintaining a broad range of commercial and government contacts globally. 

Safiya has nearly a decade of experience in the U.S. Government, working on critical regulatory and policy issues around the world with a focus on South Asia. High-level government leaders—including secretaries of state and senators—have relied on Safiya’s sage counsel to make impactful decisions.

Safiya previously served on the staff of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, covering South and Central Asia. She also served in the State Department as an advisor on Pakistan and Afghanistan in the Office of the Special Representative to Afghanistan and Pakistan (SRAP) under Secretaries Clinton and Kerry. She began her State Department career in the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, where she managed portfolios in South Asia and traveled extensively throughout the region promoting good governance, transparency, and the rule of law.​

Prior to joining McLarty Associates, Safiya led global business development at an international law firm where her work took her to Southeast Asia and beyond.​

Safiya regularly speaks on topics related to DEI, women’s empowerment, and foreign policy, including at the Aspen Ideas Festival, SXSW, the Council on Foreign Relations, and the Festival of the Diaspora.

​Safiya currently serves as a Nonresident Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council’s South Asia Center, a founding member of CHIEF DC, a network of female executives, and on the Concordia Advisory Board. She is an Arkansas native and received her JD/MA from the University of Arkansas.