The past 18 months have witnessed significant disruption in the post-WWII trade and security relationship between the United States and Germany, and Europe more broadly. Questions surrounding U.S. support for Ukraine, growing pressure for Europe to assume greater financial and political leadership within NATO, and tensions over tariffs and trade are reshaping a transatlantic partnership that has been a cornerstone of international security and economic cooperation for
decades. At the same time, Germany faces its own economic and political challenges, while elections and shifting political dynamics across Europe could further influence the continent’s direction.
Please join the Tennessee World Affairs Council for a timely conversation with leading U.S.-German political, diplomatic, security, and trade experts Dr. Daniel S. Hamilton and Dr. Stephanie Harwood. Drawing on their extensive experience in transatlantic relations, diplomacy, trade, and public policy, they will examine where the relationship stands today, how we arrived here, and the risks and opportunities ahead for the United States, Germany, and Europe. The discussion will explore the geopolitical and economic forces reshaping the transatlantic alliance—from NATO and European security to trade, tariffs, investment, and economic competitiveness. It will also consider Germany’s role as a major European economic and political power, the implications of changing political dynamics across Europe, and what these developments mean for American interests.
As the international order undergoes profound change, can the United States and Europe redefine their partnership for a new era? This panel will look beyond today’s tensions to consider the way forward for transatlantic trade, security, and cooperation — and why this relationship continues to matter on both sides of the Atlantic.
Wednesday, October 28 I 11:00 am – 1:00 pm
* Luncheon Event *
Venue:
501 Commerce St, Nashville, TN 37203
Featured Moderator: Paul Gallagher (Nashville Warburg Chapter Director, The American Council on Germany)
Paul Gallagher is the Nashville Warburg Chapter Director of The American Council on Germany. He has had a long career in financial services, most recently as Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of Thread Bank, with previous roles at Pinnacle Financial Partners, PayPal, Silicon Valley Bank, Wells Fargo, The Boston Consulting Group, and IBM. He was a Robert Bosch Foundation Fellow in 1993-1994 and lived in Cologne, Berlin, and Munich for three years. Mr. Gallagher holds an MBA from the Yale School of Management and a BA in Political Science from Brown University.
Featured Panelist: Stephanie Harwood (Director for Trade Policy, Representative of German Industry and Trade – RGIT)
Stephanie Harwood is Director for trade policy at RGIT. Her professional background combines project and program management in the German-American nonprofit and corporate sectors, while her international upbringing gave her a strong awareness and appreciation for both cultures. Stephanie previously worked for the German grocery chain Lidl US, supporting its US expansion in several roles, including in its real estate, procurement, and legal departments. She received her master’s degree in European Studies from the University of Bath, England, and Humboldt University in Berlin and completed her bachelor’s degree in international relations at the University of Denver, Colorado.
Featured Panelist: Dr. Daniel S. Hamilton (President, Transatlantic Leadership Network)
Dr. Daniel S. Hamilton is a leading expert on transatlantic relations, European affairs, and international security. He is President of the Transatlantic Leadership Network and a Senior Nonresident Fellow at both the Brookings Institution and the Foreign Policy Institute of Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). He previously founded and directed the SAIS Center for Transatlantic Relations and served as the Richard von Weizsäcker Professor and Austrian Marshall Plan Foundation Professor at SAIS.
Dr. Hamilton has held numerous senior positions at the U.S. Department of State, including Deputy Assistant Secretary for European Affairs, where he oversaw NATO, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), transatlantic security, and Nordic-Baltic and Balkan affairs. He also served as U.S. Special Coordinator for Southeast European Stabilization, Associate Director of the Policy Planning Staff for two U.S. Secretaries of State, Director for Policy in the Bureau of European Affairs, and Senior Policy Advisor at the U.S. Embassy in Germany.
His extensive engagement with Germany includes serving as the inaugural Richard von Weizsäcker Fellow of the Robert Bosch Academy in Berlin and as the first Robert Bosch Foundation Senior Diplomatic Fellow in the German Foreign Office. In 2012, he served on German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Futures Advisory Group.
A frequent adviser, speaker, and commentator on European and transatlantic affairs, Dr. Hamilton regularly testifies before the U.S. Congress and European parliaments. He has authored more than 100 books and articles addressing European, transatlantic, and international affairs. Recent publications include The Transatlantic Economy annual series, including the 2026 edition, The Transatlantic Community and China, Paradigm Lost? Europe and the Challenges of a New World, and The Arctic and World Order.
His contributions to international and transatlantic relations have earned him numerous honors, including Germany’s Cross of the Federal Order of Merit, France’s Ordre des Palmes Académiques, Sweden’s Royal Order of the Polar Star, and Poland’s Officer’s Cross of the Order of Merit.
Dr. Hamilton holds a Ph.D. and an M.A. with distinction from Johns Hopkins SAIS, an honorary doctorate from Concordia College, and an undergraduate degree from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service.
