Shawn Tenbrink

For over a decade, Shawn Tenbrink has operated at the vanguard of American diplomacy, navigating the volatile intersections of geopolitics, conflict, and international commerce. A decorated career Foreign Service Officer with the U.S. Department of State, Tenbrink has been recognized with numerous Superior and Meritorious Honor Awards for his service in the world’s most demanding environments.

His global perspective was forged early; born into a life of transition, he was raised in Indonesia before returning to his father’s roots in Cincinnati, Ohio. This early exposure to diverse cultures served as the prelude to a career defined by high-stakes negotiation. His professional journey began as a Peace Corps volunteer in the Moroccan Sahara, where he lived among the historic "mud castles" of the High Atlas Mountains—an experience that instilled the "people-to-people" diplomacy that remains his hallmark today.

Tenbrink’s diplomatic portfolio is a testament to resilience and strategic depth. During the onset of the Arab Spring, he served in Damascus, Syria—a professional crucible that became the primary inspiration for his literary work. He further served as a Senior Advisor to the U.S. Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism, a role he held during the critical period surrounding the October 7th attacks, providing vital guidance during the resulting global upheaval. His assignments have spanned the Middle East and North Africa, including pivotal tours in Oman and Morocco, two critical deployments to Lebanon, and a posting in Sydney, Australia.

Currently stationed at the U.S. Foreign Press Center in New York City, Tenbrink is a scholar-practitioner anchored by a Master of Laws (LL.M.) in International Economic Law from the University of Kent’s Brussels School of International Studies and a B.A. in History from Miami University of Ohio.

When not navigating the complexities of international relations, Tenbrink chronicles the visceral, often overlooked human stories behind statecraft. His historical non-fiction work, Diplomatic Blood for Trade, meticulously reconstructs the life and assassination of Henry Heusken—the first U.S. diplomat assassinated in the line of duty—bringing a practitioner’s unique lens to the high-stakes history of the 19th-century opening of Japan.