The Royal United Service Institute is pleased to announce that Ms Rachel Ellehuus has been appointed as its new Director-General.
Currently the US Secretary of Defense’s Representative in Europe and the Defense Advisor for the US Mission to NATO, Rachel will take up her new role on 6 January 2025.
In addition to her current senior policy roles for the US Department of Defense, Ms Ellehuus has previously served as Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense within the DoD. Between 2009 and 2012, Rachel was assigned to the Strategy Unit in the UK Ministry of Defence, working on the Defence Green Paper published at the time, the 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR), and the 2012 Defence Engagement Strategy.
Her career has also included work for leading think tanks, such as the CSIS in Washington DC, the Danish Institute of International Affairs in Copenhagen and the Prague Centre of the EastWest Institute.
The transition in leadership at RUSI comes after current Director-General Karin von Hippel announced in June her intention to stand down following a successful nine-year tenure. During this time, the Institute was transformed, with Karin overseeing a doubling of RUSI’s size and nearly trebling in revenue. RUSI’s long-term future was secured with a successful fundraising initiative that allowed the purchase of the freehold of the Institute’s historic Whitehall home and a complete renovation and extension of its building.
Reflecting on the transition, Dr von Hippel said:
I congratulate the appointment board on choosing Rachel. She will make an outstanding Director-General and bring her many years of practical defence and security experience and expertise to RUSI, assuring the organisation will contribute to critical defence and security debates and issues for years to come. I’m confident RUSI will be in good hands under her leadership.
Dr Karin von Hippel
Director-General
Ms Ellehuus responded that she is:
honoured to join RUSI as the next Director-General. RUSI has a distinguished reputation for high-quality research and thought leadership in security and defence. In today’s world, where security challenges are becoming more intricate and intertwined with political, economic, and technological issues, RUSI’s cross-disciplinary approach and commitment to incisive analysis are critically important. I look forward to working alongside our esteemed team and valued partners to further RUSI’s mission.
RUSI Chair of Trustees Sir David Lidington, who headed the selection process, concluded:
I am delighted to welcome Rachel Ellehuus as our new Director-General. She brings to the role a deep understanding of the security and defence challenges that NATO and the entire democratic world face.
The Rt Hon Sir David Lidington KCB CBE
Chair
He continued:
Under the leadership of Karin von Hippel, RUSI has established itself as one of the world’s most respected and trusted voices on security policy. Rachel has the experience and energy to build on Karin’s achievements and lead RUSI to new heights in the years ahead.
The Rt Hon Sir David Lidington KCB CBE
Chair