As head of policy planning in the private office of the Secretary General, Fabrice Pothier oversees the review of current and future strategic policy issues facing NATO. He provides policy advice and brings a broad range of expertise to the NATO Secretary General, senior management and the North Atlantic Council by collaborating across NATO's divisions, as well as with the broader expert community, including think-tanks, academic institutions and non-governmental organisations.

Prior to his NATO appointment, Pothier was founding director of Carnegie Europe, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace’s pan-European foreign policy centre based in Brussels. Under his leadership, Carnegie Europe became one of Europe's most active think-tanks on foreign policy and strategic issues by bringing global and regional perspectives, creating a regional research platform with leading senior analysts and engaging with senior European policy makers and commentators through innovative public and private fora. Previously, Pothier was head of policy analysis and co-founder of the International Council on Security and Development (ICOS), which was initiated by the Network of European Foundations. He was International Research Manager at the London-based strategic consultancy Europe Japan Centre, owned by Japanese energy group Osaka Gas. He holds Masters degrees from London Metropolitan University and Université de Versailles.

(Current as of May 2011)