James Costos

James Costos

Member

Former U.S. Ambassador to the Kingdom of Spain and Principality of Andorra.

Ambassador James Costos was appointed to the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board in 2022 by President Joseph R. Biden.

James Costos, an American diplomat and former U.S. Ambassador to the Kingdom of Spain and the Principality of Andorra, has played a pivotal role in strengthening U.S. relations with Spain and Andorra. Appointed by President Barack Obama and confirmed by the U.S. Senate in August 2013, he completed his tenure in January 2017. Since then, Ambassador Costos has continued to serve his country in various roles as a private citizen.

During his ambassadorship, he championed shared priorities including economic prosperity, enhanced security, and the promotion of human rights. His ongoing efforts to this day focus on fostering innovation, entrepreneurship, and expanding bilateral investment and trade, contributing to job creation and the growth of next-generation enterprises.

Born in Lowell, Massachusetts, in 1963, Ambassador Costos is a second-generation Greek-American. His father, a U.S. Marine, instilled in him a deep sense of service. Costos became the first in his family to graduate from college, earning a degree in political science from the University of Massachusetts in 1985.

Currently, Ambassador Costos serves as President of Secuoya Studios, a Madrid-based film and television studio, and as Senior Managing Director in the Global Venture Technologies Group at Dentons. He also holds roles on several prominent boards, including the Board of Directors of PJT Partners, an global advisory-focused investment bank, and the Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest LGBTQ+ advocacy organization. Additionally, he mentors fellows at the Obama Foundation and the Schmidt Science Fellows Foundation.

Ambassador Costos is a Trustee of The Hispanic Society of America in New York City and a member of the International Board of the Prado Museum in Madrid. He is the author of “El Amigo Americano: El Hombre de Obama en España” and frequently contributes articles on business and politics.

He divides his time between Los Angeles, New York City, and Madrid with his partner of 25 years, Michael S. Smith, and their three dogs.