Daniel P. Fata
Vice President
dfata@cohengroup.net

Daniel Fata is a Vice President at the Cohen Group where he focuses the majority of his time working on client issues related to Europe, Eurasia, Afghanistan, and Canada as well as on defense, aerospace, intelligence, technology, and stability and development issues.

Before joining The Cohen Group, Mr. Fata served as the U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for European and NATO Policy – at 33, he was the youngest person ever to hold this post. From September 2005-September 2008, he was a key advisor to both Secretaries of Defense Rumsfeld and Gates and was responsible for developing and executing American defense policy among the nations of Europe and Eurasia, as well as with international organizations including NATO, the European Union, and the Organization for Security Cooperation in Europe. During his tenure, Mr. Fata’s efforts focused on strengthening bilateral relations with key European and Eurasian allies, developing initiatives for two NATO Summits, and managing and resolving issues involving Afghanistan, Russia, Georgia, the Black Sea, Kosovo, the Balkans, European missile defense, energy security, allied defense modernization/transformation, among many others. He also testified numerous times before Congress on U.S.-European relations, NATO, the Balkans, missile defense, and Turkey.

From 2003-2005, Mr. Fata served as Policy Director for National Security and Trade on the Senate Republican Policy Committee as part of the Senate Republican Leadership staff and as chief foreign policy advisor to its chairman, Senator Jon Kyl of Arizona. He was a vital link between Senate and House leadership, congressional committees, and the White House on issues such as the War on Terrorism, transatlantic defense relationships, nuclear non-proliferation, and intelligence reform. From 2001-2003, he held a similar position on the House Republican Policy Committee, playing a key role to committee Chairman Chris Cox of California.

Prior to government service, Mr. Fata was Director of Corporate Relations and Special Projects Manager at TechFoundation, which provided much-needed information technology infrastructure to American nonprofit organizations. He also served as Assistant to the Vice President/Washington Director of the Council on Foreign Relations, and in research positions at the Potomac Foundation, the American Enterprise Institute, and the Balkan Institute.

Since leaving the Pentagon, Mr. Fata has guest lectured at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, the State Department’s Foreign Service Institute, and the University of Connecticut as well as conducted briefings for dozens of senior military officers and Members of Parliament from various European countries. He continues to serve as a frequent speaker, panelist, roundtable strategist, and media contributor in both the U.S. and Europe on key U.S. and transatlantic foreign policy and national security issues. He has authored various editorials and journal articles for the Washington Times, Defense News, Canada’s The Globe and Mail, Ft. Worth Star Telegram, and others.

Mr. Fata currently serves as a non-resident Transatlantic Fellow at the German Marshall Fund of the United States. He is a member of the U.S. European Command Strategic Advisory Group. He also serves on the Advisory Council of Global Brief, Canada’s emerging international affairs magazine.

In 2003, Mr. Fata was decorated by the Lithuanian government for his efforts to assist Lithuania’s accession to NATO. In 2006, he was awarded the Secretary of Defense’s Medal for Outstanding Public Service.

Mr. Fata earned a B.A. with Honors in Political Science from the University of Connecticut and a M.A. in International Relations from Boston University.