Mary Kissel

Mary Kissel is Executive Vice President and Senior Policy Advisor at Stephens Inc. She provides advice on geopolitical risk and macroeconomic trends to Stephens clients and the Stephens management team. From October 2018 to January 2021, Ms. Kissel served as Senior Advisor to Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo. Prior to joining the State Department, she had a long and distinguished career on The Wall Street Journal editorial board, including stints as chief foreign policy writer in New York City and Asia-Pacific editorial page editor, based in Hong Kong. She began her career at Stephens Inc. in 2001. Ms. Kissel has written extensively on international relations, economics, and politics. She is a frequent commentator on CNN, Fox News, and NPR. She has also written for The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and Foreign Affairs. Ms. Kissel holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Yale University and a Master of Arts degree from Yale University. She is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the Trilateral Commission. She is also a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Ms. Kissel has received several awards for her work, including the National Association of Women Business Owners' Woman of the Year award and the National Journal's Women in Politics award. She has also been named one of the most influential people in the world by Time magazine. Ms. Kissel is married to David Kissel, a businessman and philanthropist. They have two children together. Ms. Kissel is a native of New York City and currently resides in New York City.