David L. Cohen, United States Ambassador to Canada

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Greetings you curiouser and curiouser Herle Burly-ites. An auspicious pod for you today. It marks a first in the long and storied, yet somehow still dubious history of The Herle Burly.

We have the United States Ambassador to Canada, David L. Cohen as our guest. 2 years and 2 weeks into the job! I’d need a whole separate pod to cover off Ambassador Cohen’s CV (see official bio below) — it’s that long and accomplished.

Suffice to say his career has spanned business, law, politics, academia, non-profit and a host of board work. And I’m going to spend some time with the Ambassador on his backstory, so we’ll find out more.

We’re also going to talk his impressions of Canada, U.S. politics and leadership in the world, the future of global trade.

Official bio:
Before his appointment by President Biden and unanimous confirmation by the U.S. Senate as U.S. Ambassador to Canada, David L. Cohen served as Senior Advisor to the CEO at Comcast Corporation as of January 1, 2020.  He was previously Senior Executive Vice President at Comcast, where his portfolio included corporate communications, legal affairs, government and regulatory affairs, public affairs, corporate administration, corporate real estate and security, and community impact.  Cohen also served as the company’s first chief diversity officer.

Before starting with Comcast in July 2002, Cohen served as a partner in and Chairman of Ballard Spahr Andrews & Ingersoll, LLP, one of the 100 largest law firms in the country.  From January 1992 to April 1997, Cohen served as Chief of Staff to the Honorable Edward G. Rendell, the Mayor of the City of Philadelphia.

Cohen served on many nonprofit boards, including as chair of the Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania and its Executive Committee; as a member of the trustee board and the executive committee of Penn Medicine; as a member of the board of directors and the executive committee of the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce; as chair of the Philadelphia Theatre Company; as a member of the Board of the National Urban League; and as chair of the corporate board of advisors of UnidosUS.   Cohen also previously served as a member of the U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission.  He also served on the board of directors of the PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. and PNC Bank, National Association.

A native of New York, Cohen graduated with a B.A. from Swarthmore College in 1977 and with a J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Law School summa cum laude in 1981.  Cohen has received numerous honors and recognitions, including Honorary Doctor of Laws degrees from the University of Pennsylvania and Drexel University.  Prior to his appointment to Ottawa, he lived in Philadelphia with his wife.

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