New additions deepen WestExec’s unmatched Asia expertise and capabilities and strengthen on-the-ground presence across the continent
WASHINGTON, May 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — WestExec Advisors, a leading geopolitical, government affairs, and policy advisory firm, today announced the expansion of its Asia practice with the addition of Ambassador Marc Knapper, former U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam, as a Principal, and Brandon Possin, former U.S. diplomat in Japan, as a Senior Advisor.
The additions come at a moment of unprecedented client demand for high-touch strategic advisory services from former practitioners across Asia, as companies, investors, and boards navigate rapidly evolving geopolitical dynamics, shifting policy priorities, supply chain realignments, technology competition, and new market opportunities. As part of Teneo, the global CEO advisory firm, WestExec offers clients a portfolio of services – integrating geopolitical risk advisory, strategic communications, financial advisory, and management consulting capabilities — to help navigate complex global operating environments.
WestExec’s experts in the region are helping clients understand what high-level diplomatic engagements and policy developments mean for their businesses by translating policy signals, geopolitical risk, and regional market dynamics into advantage. From U.S.–China competition and trade policy to investment screening, supply chain resilience, defense and technology policy, and market entry, WestExec supports clients as they prepare for major inflection points and use them to make better strategic decisions.
Knapper and Possin, who will be based in Vietnam and Japan respectively, join a WestExec Asia team whose experience and network are unmatched in the market. The practice includes Vikram Singh, Danny Russel, Wendy Cutler, Liz Economy, Henry Haggard, Hanscom Smith, David Skilling, Jason Hsu, Admiral (ret.) Mike Studeman, General (ret.) Vince Brooks, Bob Herrera Lim, and Arpit Chaturvedi, bringing together senior expertise across national security, defense, trade, economic, foreign affairs, and technology policy.
“Asia is no longer a regional strategy question for our clients — it is central to supply chains, technology, capital allocation, resilience, and growth,” said Sergio Aguirre, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of WestExec Advisors. “At moments like the Trump–Xi summit, executives need advisors who can translate geopolitical signals into concrete guidance and impactful outcomes. Marc and Brandon bring extraordinary diplomatic experience, regional fluency, and deep trusted networks that will strengthen our ability to help clients operating in, investing in, or partnering across Asia to navigate complexity, anticipate policy shifts, and seize opportunities. Together with our existing best-in-class Asia team and the broader capabilities of Teneo’s global platform, WestExec is positioned to meet unprecedented demand for high-touch, outcome-oriented advisory services across the region.”
Ambassador Knapper brings more than three decades of diplomatic experience across East and Southeast Asia. He served as U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam from 2022 to 2026, a period marked by significant advancement in U.S.–Vietnam relations, including the elevation of the bilateral relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. He previously served as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Korea and Japan, Chargé d’Affaires and Deputy Chief of Mission in Seoul, and in senior roles focused on India, Japan, Vietnam, Korea, and the broader Indo-Pacific.
Possin joins WestExec as a Senior Advisor based in Tokyo, where he supports clients navigating growth, investment, and policy opportunities in Japan and across Asia. A former U.S. diplomat with a 17-year career across six U.S. missions globally, Possin brings deep experience in economic diplomacy, technology, investment, sanctions, APEC, and regional commercial engagement, including prior service at the U.S. Consulate in Fukuoka and in the State Department’s East Asia Bureau Economic Policy Office. During his diplomatic tour in Japan, Possin worked on the U.S. Navy’s Japan-based ship repair initiative and worked closely with Japan’s Mogami-class frigate program.
The expanded practice will continue to support clients with tailored advisory services across Asia, including geopolitical risk analysis, government and stakeholder engagement strategy, market entry and expansion, supply chain and investment strategy, regulatory and policy insights, scenario planning, and preparation for major developments and events.
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SOURCE WestExec Advisors
