David I. Adelman

David Isaac Adelman
Born	(1964-05-24) May 24, 1964 New York City, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Entrepreneur, attorney, diplomat, adjunct professor
Years active	1989–present
Known for	United States Ambassador to Singapore (2010–2013)

David Isaac Adelman (born May 24, 1964) is an American entrepreneur, attorney, and diplomat. From April 2010 through September 2013, he held the position of United States Ambassador to Singapore. Currently, Adelman is the Managing Director and General Counsel at Krane Funds Advisors, an asset management firm based in New York. He acts as a Trustee for the National Committee on American Foreign Policy and holds membership in the Council on Foreign Relations. For more than ten years, he has been an adjunct professor at New York University, instructing courses on international relations.

Adelman’s official documents are preserved at the Richard B. Russell Library located at the University of Georgia. In 2016, the State of Georgia honored his public service by naming a bridge on State Highway 42 after him—the Ambassador David Adelman Bridge. He also contributes to the Advisory Council of the Israel-Asia Center.

Early life, education and academia

Born in New York City on May 24, 1964, Adelman attended The Lovett School in Atlanta, Georgia. He completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Georgia in 1986, earned a Juris Doctor degree from Emory University in 1989, and obtained a master’s degree from Georgia State University in 1995. His academic achievements include receiving the Henry Grady Fellowship from the University of Georgia and Emory University's highest honor, the Emory Medal.

Adelman spent three years teaching in the Honors Program at the University of Georgia’s School of Public and International Affairs and currently serves as an adjunct professor at New York University, where he teaches graduate-level courses focused on the Asia-Pacific region. Georgia State University recognized him with its Distinguished Alumni Award. He was also invited to deliver the commencement address at the University of Georgia in 2010.

His service extends to board memberships including the Board of Visitors for Emory University and for the University of Georgia’s School of Public and International Affairs, as well as participation on the Dean’s Council for Georgia State University's Andrew Young School of Policy Studies. Additionally, Adelman was part of the Advisory Board for the Southeast Asia Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a prominent think tank based in Washington, DC.

Legal and business career

Following his graduation from Emory University School of Law in 1989, Adelman worked for two years as Assistant Attorney General for the State of Georgia. In 1993, he joined Sutherland Asbill & Brennan and quickly advanced to become one of its youngest partners. The Georgia Supreme Court appointed him to serve on the Georgia Commission on Children, Marriage and Family. He also led initiatives offering pro bono legal assistance to disabled veterans through the National Veterans Consortium Pro Bono Program and represented indigent veterans before the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims.

In 2000, Adelman was named Trustee of the Fulton-DeKalb Hospital Authority, which supervises Grady Memorial Hospital and Hughes Spalding Children's Hospital. He participated as a member of a legal team headed by Harvard professor Laurence Tribe that represented Vice President Al Gore and Senator Joseph Lieberman during post-2000 election litigation before both the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals and the U.S. Supreme Court. In recognition of his impact on the legal field, Emory Law included him among its "Emory Law 100" honorees in 2017.

After Noble Group Holdings underwent restructuring in 2018, Adelman served as an Independent Non-Executive Director. Prior to its acquisition by Van Eck in 2020, he acted as senior advisor to BlueStar Indexes, which focuses on Israel-related investments. While based in Hong Kong as Managing Director at Goldman Sachs, he worked within the firm’s Executive Office. He provides advisory services to private equity firm Olympus Capital and previously held a senior advisory role with venture capital firm Ion Pacific. Additionally, Adelman is a member of Climate Finance Partners’ Advisory Board.

Before joining Krane Funds Advisors, he spent six years as a partner at Reed Smith LLP with responsibilities across their New York and Hong Kong offices. In 2013, he was appointed by Singapore to serve on the Monetary Authority’s Capital Markets Committee and by Hong Kong to join the Executive Board of its Treasury Markets Association. He also held a position on the Board of Governors for the American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong and maintains membership with the Council on Foreign Relations.

Georgia State Senate

Adelman secured election to the Georgia State Senate in 2002, where he held the positions of Minority Whip and Chair of the Senate Urban Affairs Committee. Over his eight-year tenure, he spearheaded legislation aimed at enhancing government ethics, increasing investments in renewable energy, expanding stem-cell research initiatives, addressing domestic violence issues, and reforming Georgia’s corporate statutes. He remained in office until 2010, when he was appointed as U.S. Ambassador to Singapore. A significant legislative achievement was his authorship of Georgia’s post-conviction DNA testing statute in 2003.

Following the 2004 redistricting, Adelman was re-elected to represent the 42nd District and was again selected as minority whip. He was the principal sponsor of the Family Violence Shelter Protection Act of 2004 and advocated for greater transparency by promoting open meetings and public records laws. Known for his moderate and pragmatic approach, Adelman balanced support for business interests with progressive reforms while continually working to simplify Georgia’s corporate code.

After the 2006 elections, Adelman became chair of the Senate Urban Affairs Committee, distinguishing himself as the sole Democrat chairing a committee within a legislature dominated by Republicans. That same year, he successfully passed legislation mandating public access to college police reports and crime statistics, earning accolades from First Amendment proponents.

In response to the Darfur genocide crisis in 2009, Adelman authored bipartisan legislation that imposed sanctions on investments connected to the Sudanese government. This law prohibited government contracts with firms maintaining Sudanese affiliations and garnered broad legislative backing.

Adelman received recognition for his efforts against domestic violence from organizations such as the Partnership Against Domestic Violence and the Women's Resource Center to End Domestic Violence. His leadership on climate change issues led to his selection as an American delegate to a UK-based climate program. Additionally, he headed a trade delegation to Israel focused on attracting high-tech investments. In 2007, the Georgia Bio Life Sciences Partnership honored him as Legislator of the Year for his advocacy of stem cell research. Further commendations came from groups including the National Federation for the Blind, League of Conservation Voters, Young Democrats of Georgia, Georgia Equality, and the Georgia Chamber of Commerce.

2008 presidential campaign

Due to his centrist views and capacity to unite diverse constituencies, Adelman’s endorsement was highly sought early in the 2008 presidential race. He supported Barack Obama’s candidacy and maintained close connections with Bill and Hillary Clinton throughout his ambassadorship. Alongside his wife Caroline, Adelman campaigned for Democratic candidates across multiple states. He served as Obama’s Campaign Chairman in Georgia while Caroline acted as spokesperson for Obama’s general election efforts in Georgia—a position she previously held during Bill Clinton’s campaigns in the state.

U.S. Ambassador to Singapore

In 2009, Adelman received nomination and unanimous confirmation by the U.S. Senate as Ambassador to Singapore, a post he held until late 2013. His tenure was marked by fostering trade and investment ties between American companies and businesses across Asia. He led eight trade missions targeting countries including India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, and Vietnam. Notably, his 2012 delegation to Naypyidaw represented the first official American business mission to Myanmar following its democratic transition. That same year, Adelman joined Goldman Sachs as Managing Director based in Hong Kong with responsibility for Asia-Pacific operations; prior to that he was a partner at Reed Smith specializing in Asian commercial law.

During his ambassadorship, U.S. direct foreign investment in Singapore reached an unprecedented $116 billion. Under his guidance, the U.S. Embassy earned international recognition for its promotion of the National Export Initiative. Adelman also facilitated Singapore’s accession to both the Hague Convention on International Child Abductions and the U.S.–Singapore agreement aimed at preventing serious crime. His efforts enhanced educational exchanges between both countries, resulting in record numbers of Singaporean students studying in America and increased participation by American researchers and artists in Singapore.

A vigorous proponent of America’s National Export Initiative, Adelman actively advanced export opportunities through regional trade missions involving leading U.S. corporations. In 2011, The Wall Street Journal commended his advocacy for the APEC Business Travel Card program that streamlines visa processing for American business travelers.

The U.S. Department of State Office of Inspector General praised Adelman’s innovative regional trade promotion approach and leadership qualities, describing him as one of the most effective embassy leaders with exceptional vision and coordination capabilities. His engagement with local business sectors was also highlighted as highly effective.

Adelman successfully negotiated an agreement permitting forward deployment of U.S. Navy vessels at Singapore’s Changi Naval Base; USS Freedom docked there in April 2013 as part of this arrangement. For this accomplishment, he was awarded the United States Navy Distinguished Public Service Award—the highest civilian honor bestowed by the Navy.

In 2013, Adelman stepped down from his ambassadorial role and returned to private legal practice at Reed Smith LLP in New York while maintaining frequent travel throughout Asia. He currently holds positions as Managing Director and general counsel at KraneShares headquartered in New York.

Speeches, publications, and media appearances

Adelman is widely acknowledged as an expert author and speaker specializing in US-Asia trade relations and is represented by Sage Worldwide. In 2015, he penned Getting the Asia Trade Message Right for the Wall Street Journal, where he championed the Transpacific Partnership (TPP). He also collaborated on opinion pieces endorsing the TPP’s significance for US national security and explored its broader effects in prominent publications such as The Washington Post and Politico. After the 2016 US elections, Adelman offered insights on anticipated policy changes impacting Asia during interviews with the International Business Times and South China Morning Post. In 2018, he appeared on CNBC to discuss US foreign policy strategies and provided expert commentary on major incidents like the USS John S. McCain collision and the US-North Korea summit negotiations across outlets including MSNBC, CNBC, and The Washington Post.

His writings have addressed obstacles to foreign investment within Indonesia's oil industry, alongside advocating for simplified travel protocols to Southeast Asia aimed at enhancing US export opportunities in Forbes. Adelman supported full budget allocation for the US Navy’s Littoral Combat Ship initiative in Politico and shared his analysis regarding Congressional prospects for TPP ratification. His 2016 editorial in the Huffington Post called for strengthened US-China collaboration to maintain Pacific regional stability. Throughout 2018 and 2019, he expressed apprehension about escalating US-China trade disputes and encouraged revitalized American participation in Asian multilateral forums through various editorials and media engagements.

As a regular television analyst on Asia-Pacific economic matters, Adelman has been featured on Bloomberg discussing American investments in Southeast Asia, CNN covering topics such as China-Taiwan dynamics and ASEAN summits, as well as CNBC providing evaluations of commodity market influences and US trade policies. He consistently contributed expertise during the 2016 presidential election cycle and developments under the Trump administration, including Secretary of State Rex Tillerson’s diplomatic visits to Asia. His commentary has also been broadcast on Channel News Asia, MSNBC, NBC, BBC, and several Asian news networks.

More recently, Adelman has concentrated on the shifting strategic rivalry between the US and China, differentiating it from Cold War-era tensions during a 2021 CNBC interview. At the 2024 World Economic Forum, he underscored how political election cycles combined with lingering pandemic repercussions have intensified protectionist attitudes worldwide. Additionally, he was extensively cited by the Financial Times in late 2024 concerning Donald Trump’s potential second-term approach toward China.

Personal life

In 1993, Adelman proposed marriage to his wife Caroline within the White House Rose Garden. Together they have three grown children: Oscar, Leah, and Avery.

External links

• Georgia Legislature – Senator David Adelman official government website
• Project Vote Smart – Senator David Adelman (GA) profile
• Follow the Money – David Adelman
  • 2006, 2004, and 2002 campaign finance records