FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 2, 2026
Contact: Gemma Givens 
press@thedialogue.org   

Washington, DC – The Inter-American Dialogue is pleased to announce the appointment of James J. Townsend, Jr., Victor Sierra, Claudia del Pozo, Joshua S. Treviño, and Pablo Pruneda as non-resident senior fellows. Together, they bring complementary expertise spanning U.S. defense and transatlantic security, emerging technologies and digital governance, and economic policy and financial markets, further strengthening the Dialogue’s work to advance democratic governance, shared prosperity, and social equity across the Western Hemisphere.

James J. Townsend, Jr. brings more than three decades of experience in defense and foreign policy, with deep expertise in European, North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), Arctic, and Canadian affairs. Jim completed eight years as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense (DASD) for European and NATO Policy, capping 34 years of work spanning the last decade of the Cold War, post-Cold War political reconstruction in the transatlantic alliance and helping Canadian and European Allies execute military engagements in almost every conflict from the Gulf War to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. He is currently an adjunct senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS) and continues to shape transatlantic security discussions as co-host of the weekly Brussels Sprouts podcast which discusses European, Canadian, and U.S. issues in the transatlantic alliance.

Victor Sierra is chairman and chief executive officer of Torino Financial, a New York-based financial institution specializing in global emerging markets. With more than three decades of experience on Wall Street, he has held senior roles at major international banks and has advised governments, multilateral organizations, and private sector leaders on economic and financial issues across Latin America. He also serves on the boards of several policy and leadership organizations, contributing to discussions on regional development and global markets.

Claudia del Pozo is the founder and director of the Eon Institute, a women-led Mexican think tank focused on preparing society for rapid technological change. She has played a central role in shaping Mexico’s artificial intelligence (AI) ecosystem, including contributing to the national AI agenda through the IA2030MX Coalition and participating in international policy discussions such as consultations on the European Union’s AI Act. She also serves as a senior consultant for C Minds and is a member of the United Kingdom’s Emerging Technologies Advisory Council in Mexico.

Joshua S. Treviño serves as the senior director for the Western Hemisphere Initiative, the senior fellow for Europe, and senior advisor to the President at the America First Policy Institute in Washington, D.C. and as the chief transformation officer at the Texas Public Policy Foundation in Austin, Texas. He is also a speechwriter and ghostwriter for a variety of high-level principals in government and public life, and a New York Times bestselling author.

Pablo Pruneda is the general coordinator of the Coordinating Counsel for Artificial Intelligence of Mexico’s National University (CCOIA-UNAM). He is also the coordinator of the Law and Artificial Intelligence Research Line (LIDIA) of the Legal Research Institute of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), where he has been a professor of civil law since 1999. In addition, he is executive director at Siglo XXII Derecho y Tecnología and has led numerous academic and policy discussions on the legal implications of emerging technologies.

“This group brings exactly the expertise the moment demands,” said Rebecca Bill Chavez, president and CEO of the Inter-American Dialogue. “Their work spans the most consequential issues facing the Americas today, including security, economic policy, artificial intelligence, and democratic governance. They will sharpen our analysis and keep the Dialogue at the center of how the countries of the hemisphere think through these opportunities and challenges.”

About the Inter-American Dialogue: 

Founded in 1982, the Inter-American Dialogue is the premier center for policy analysis, exchange, and communication on issues in Western Hemisphere affairs. Headquartered in Washington, DC, with a network of experts and fellows across the Americas, the Dialogue convenes global leaders and institutions to advance democratic resilience, shared prosperity, social inclusion, and sustainable development across the Americas.

#####