Michael Pillsbury Joins American Global Strategies as a Senior Advisor

WASHINGTON, June 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, American Global Strategies LLC announced that Dr. Michael Pillsbury, one of the nation's leading experts on China strategy and U.S.-China competition, has joined the firm as a Senior Advisor.

Dr. Pillsbury brings decades of national security, defense policy, intelligence, congressional, and China strategy experience to AGS. He will advise clients on U.S.-China competition, defense policy, economic security, technology strategy, and the strategic implications of China's military, political, and industrial ambitions.

He currently serves as Senior Advisor in the President's Office at The Heritage Foundation and is the author of The Hundred-Year Marathon, a national bestseller examining China's long-term strategy to replace the United States as the world's leading power.

Across multiple administrations, Dr. Pillsbury has served in senior national security and defense policy roles. During the Reagan administration, he served as Assistant Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Planning and was responsible for implementation of the covert aid program known as the Reagan Doctrine. Under President George H. W. Bush, he served as Special Assistant for Asian Affairs in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, reporting to Andrew W. Marshall, Director of Net Assessment.

Earlier in his career, he served on the staff of four U.S. Senate Committees and worked on legislation establishing the U.S. Institute of Peace, the National Endowment for Democracy, and the annual Department of Defense report to Congress on Chinese military power. He has also served as Senior Research Advisor to the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, as a consultant to the Department of Defense, and as a member of leading foreign policy institutions, including the Council on Foreign Relations and the International Institute for Strategic Studies.

"Michael Pillsbury has shaped American thinking on China strategy for decades, from the Cold War through the current era of strategic competition," said Ambassador Robert C. O'Brien, AGS Chairman. "President Trump has recognized Michael as the country's leading authority on China, and that reputation reflects a career spent studying Beijing's long-term ambitions, advising senior policymakers, and helping the United States think more clearly about the strategic challenge China presents. His judgment and experience will add important perspective for AGS clients as they assess China risk, economic security, and the decisions required to compete in an increasingly contested global environment."

"Dr. Pillsbury's addition reflects AGS's continued investment in senior-level expertise at the intersection of national security, economic security, and strategic competition," said AGS CEO Alexander Gray. "Few issues matter more to all sectors of the economy than understanding China's ambitions and the evolution of the Sino-American relationship. Dr. Pillsbury brings the experience and judgment required to help leaders think clearly about those challenges."

"I am honored to join Ambassador O'Brien, Alex Gray, Larry Kudlow, and the outstanding team at American Global Strategies," said Dr. Michael Pillsbury. "AGS has quickly become an important source of strategic judgment and analysis for leaders operating in a more competitive global environment. I look forward to contributing to the firm's work on China strategy and advising both new and established clients as they assess Beijing's ambitions, manage risk, and make decisions in this defining era of U.S.-China competition."

Dr. Pillsbury was educated at Stanford University, where he received a B.A. in History with honors in Social Thought, and Columbia University, where he earned his M.A. and Ph.D.

American Global Strategies LLC is a premier strategic advisory firm founded by former National Security Advisor Robert C. O'Brien and former National Security Council Chief of Staff Alexander B. Gray. The staff is composed of professionals who have served at the White House, State, Treasury, Commerce, USTR, the Pentagon, and on Capitol Hill. The firm's primary office is in Washington, D.C.

Visit us at https://americanglobalstrategies.com/

For press inquiries, please reach out to [email protected]

SOURCE American Global Strategies