CSIS Names Thamar Harrigan Chief of Staff of the Economic Security and Technology Department

Photo: CSIS

Press Release - March 18, 2026

WASHINGTON, DC - March 18, 2026 - The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) today announced that Thamar Harrigan has joined the CSIS Economic Security and Technology (EST) Department as chief of staff and director of operations. With decades of senior-level management experience, Harrigan will serve as a key member of the department's leadership team, helping drive strategy, operations, and programmatic priorities.

"As we cement our role as a premier engine for policy insights and solutions on economic security and technology, Thamar's unique blend of government, private sector, and trade law experience-including her service as chief of staff of the United States Trade and Development Agency-is exactly the leadership we need," said Navin Girishankar, president of the EST Department.

Harrigan will work closely with Girishankar and other senior leaders to further strengthen the EST Department as a leading resource on economic policy, global markets, and advanced technologies. Her experience will help enhance the department's operational capacity, sharpen its research outputs, and broaden engagement across sectors-strengthening EST's ability to deliver timely insights and practical solutions to the most pressing economic and technological challenges facing the United States.

Harrigan most recently served as chief of staff and White House liaison at the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA). Prior to her tenure at the USTDA, she held senior roles at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, served in the Florida legislature, and was special adviser and chief legal officer to the Embassy of Haiti in Washington, D.C. In the private sector, Harrigan led her own advisory firm and practiced as a trade lawyer, advising clients on federal regulatory matters, customs enforcement, and complex cross-border issues.

"I'm honored to join the Economic Security and Technology Department at CSIS, and I look forward to strengthening the institution-building efforts that support the department's operational effectiveness. We have an extraordinary group of experts, and I am excited to work with them in delivering policy impact at the intersection of trade, technology, and economic security," said Harrigan.

CSIS's Economic Security and Technology Department is a center of excellence for strategic insights and policy solutions for the United States and its partners to promote economic dynamism and sustain technological advantages essential to their growth, security, and global influence. Explore the department's latest work here.

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