Sabine Schleidt
COO
Sabine Schleidt serves as the Chief Operating Officer of the U.S. Association of Former Members of Congress (FMC) and The Congressional Study Groups, where she directs the International Program Department, develops programming and fundraising initiatives, and represents the Association at public events. Ms. Schleidt works closely with the Association’s CEO and Board of Directors as well as with Members of Congress, Ambassadors, and business leaders from the U.S. and abroad.
Since joining FMC in 2011, Ms. Schleidt has launched a number of new initiatives. The Diplomatic Advisory Council, established in 2012, provides opportunities for ambassadors from around the world to interact with U.S. policy makers and the business community on timely and current issues. She also formed The Congressional Study Group on Europe, which joined the Study Groups on Germany, Japan, and Korea as one of the preeminent legislative exchange and dialogue programs involving Members of Congress and their counterparts abroad. She has overseen an expansion of Study Group programs, with recent highlights including high-level meetings with Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin and the late Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Tokyo.
Ms. Schleidt joined FMC after more than two decades with the International Management and Development Institute (IMDI), an international non-profit, educational institute that promoted dialogue on economic, trade, and security issues between U.S. and global leaders in business and government. She served as IMDI’s Executive Vice President, overseeing all aspects of the organization including program and policy development, fundraising, corporate and government relations, budgeting, staff development, and strategic planning.
During her extensive professional career, Ms. Schleidt has developed and implemented international policy discussions in most European capitals and has traveled with over 100 Members of Congress overseas. She enjoys identifying critical and emerging issues and strongly believes in the value of ongoing dialogue among policymakers, opinion leaders, captains of industry, and other ranking experts. Whether the issue is trade, immigration, energy, monetary policy, or the fight against terrorism, she believes it is vital for the key players to come together and have frank, candid, and constructive discussions.
Ms. Schleidt was born and grew up near Frankfurt, Germany and later emigrated to the United States. She attended the College of Wooster in Ohio where she received her B.A. degree in International Relations and German Literature and received an M.A. with distinction in International Affairs from American University in Washington, D.C. She is bilingual in English and German. Prior to joining IMDI, she was a language instructor for members of the Washington diplomatic community. She also served as a legislative representative for the National Board of the YWCA, where she authored a manual on corporate social responsibility.