ABOUT

A skilled moderator and public speaker, Suzanne manoeuvres from asking tough questions onstage to actively teaching the next generation on campus. Suzanne studied at Emory University, the University of Oxford, and Georgetown University, and is passionate about motivating students to pursue careers in journalism and keep the fourth estate alive. Sharing her expertise in Iran and the broader Middle East, Suzanne contributes analysis to the Atlantic Council, where she is a non-resident senior fellow. She moderates foreign policy panel discussions at think tanks, teaches public diplomacy at the University of California (Los Angeles), and was a fellow at the Georgetown University Institute of Politics and Public Service. Passionate about increasing women’s global access to education and involving them in public service and national security, Suzanne is also a board member of the Friends of the American University of Afghanistan and the Women’s Public Leadership Network.

An inspiring newswoman and academic, leveraging her diverse background to offer a unique journalistic perspective and make news, politics, and foreign policy relatable to all.

Suzanne Kianpour is an Emmy-nominated journalist with over a decade of experience in TV, radio and digital journalism. Working on the front lines of the world’s most significant news stories, she provides insight and analysis on political and foreign policy issues, informed by extensive on-the-ground experience and a vast network of international contacts.

Suzanne began her career covering foreign affairs, politics, national security and breaking news at NBC News and Fox News, before becoming a BBC foreign correspondent. With postings in Washington, Beirut, London, and Los Angeles, she has interviewed key figures, such as former Secretary of State John Kerry (at the peak of Iran’s nuclear negotiations) and secured the first sit-down TV interview with former President Obama after the Iran Nuclear Deal was agreed. During the Gaza War in 2014, she landed exclusive interviews with the Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif (the BBC’s first interview with an Iranian official since being banned from the country in 2009) and Khaled Meshaal, the Hamas leader in exile in Doha. She has reported from key events and conflict zones across the world, from the Middle East to Lebanon and Cuba during the US détente.

In 2016, Suzanne travelled across America, reporting on the presidential campaign of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and returned to Washington as White House Correspondent. Across Donald Trump’s term in office, she covered multiple stories and investigations, including the Trump/Russia ties from the corridors of Capitol Hill.

A skilled moderator and public speaker, Suzanne manoeuvres from asking tough questions onstage to actively teaching the next generation on campus. Suzanne studied at Emory University, the University of Oxford, and Georgetown University, and is passionate about motivating students to pursue careers in journalism and keep the fourth estate alive. Sharing her expertise in Iran and the broader Middle East, Suzanne contributes analysis to the Atlantic Council, where she is a non-resident senior fellow. She moderates foreign policy panel discussions at think tanks, teaches public diplomacy at the University of California (Los Angeles), and was a fellow at the Georgetown University Institute of Politics and Public Service. Passionate about increasing women’s global access to education and involving them in public service and national security, Suzanne is also a board member of the Friends of the American University of Afghanistan and the Women’s Public Leadership Network.

From press vests and helmets to suits and heels, Suzanne has had a front-row seat to history and has now established a social impact brand, Helmet to Heels®. Helmet to Heels redefines how audiences engage with news (newsfluencing) by seamlessly blending fashion, travel, and current events stories. Building on her vast experience, this platform amplifies the voices of women worldwide and spotlights those driving change in extreme environments.

Suzanne was among Emory University's Class of 2019 40 under 40 alumni and has repeatedly been named as one of DC’s most influential leaders under 40 in Washington Life magazine. At age 28, she was profiled as a person to watch in the magazine’s May 2015 “Power Issue.”

Born and raised in Atlanta (Georgia) with a Persian and Sicilian background, Suzanne is fluent in written and verbal Farsi, conversational in Spanish, has basic proficiency in Italian, French and Arabic.