Amb. John Tefft is a retired United States diplomat and holds a Distinguished Chair in Diplomacy and Security at the RAND Corporation. He was a career Foreign Service Officer for more than 45 years. He served as U.S. Ambassador to the Russian Federation from 2014 to 2017, to Ukraine from 2009 to-2013, Georgia from 2004 to 2009 and Lithuania from 2000 to 2003. Other assignments included service as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, and as the International Affairs Advisor at the National War College. Amb. Tefft originally retired from the Foreign Service in September 2013 and served as Executive Director of the RAND Corporation's U.S.-Russia Business Leaders Forum until his recall to duty and confirmation as U.S. Ambassador to the Russian Federation.

Amb. Tefft is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Secretary of State's Distinguished Service Award, the American Foreign Service Association's Lifetime Contributions to Diplomacy Award, and the Diplomacy for Human Rights Award in 2013.

Amb. Tefft holds a B.A. from Marquette University and a Master's degree from Georgetown University.