Nathalie Rayes

Nathalie Rayes is the former United States Ambassador to Croatia, a non-resident Distinguished Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council, and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. She also serves on the board of the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs.

Before her diplomatic appointment, Ambassador Rayes was President and CEO of the Latino Victory Foundation, where she led national efforts to expand Latino representation in government and public service. She previously served as Vice President of Public Affairs for Grupo Salinas, a global conglomerate based in Mexico City, where she oversaw corporate social responsibility and U.S.–Mexico government relations initiatives.

Earlier in her career, Rayes served as Deputy Chief of Staff to the Mayor of Los Angeles and has held numerous leadership roles in philanthropy and advocacy, including serving as Chair of the Board of the Hispanic Federation.

Rayes played a founding role in several major leadership initiatives, including the creation of Aspen Latinos & Society, Aspen Institute Mexico, and the HOPE Binational Leadership Program, a cross-border fellowship that strengthens collaboration between the United States and Mexico. She speaks frequently on diplomacy, leadership, democracy, and empowerment, and her work has been recognized with numerous awards for public service and civic leadership.

Rayes holds a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology and a Master’s degree in Public Policy from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).