Clifford Michael Sobel (born 1949 in Brooklyn, New York) is an American business executive, financier, Republican fundraiser, U.S. diplomat and former ambassador. Since 1994, Sobel has been chairman and chief executive officer of SJJ Investment Corp.[3] He is managing partner and founder of the investment firm Valor Capital Group in New York and Brazil.[4][5][6] Sobel is the independent director of Diamond Offshore Drilling, Inc.[7][8] Career Sobel was born to a Jewish family in Brooklyn, New York. He first attended the University of Vermont, and in 1972, graduated with honors from New York University's School of Commerce with a bachelor's degree in management. Ambassador Sobel’s career has been noteworthy for its diversity in both the public and private sectors. He has served as ambassador to the Netherlands and Brazil, spanning both the Bush and Obama administrations. In the private sector he has been an entrepreneur – manager, as well as president and chairman of a technology company which was listed on the NASDAQ. He has served on NYSE boards and serves on not-for-profit boards. Today he is managing partner and founder of the investment firm Valor Capital Group in New York and Brazil,] a growth equity and venture capital investment firm focused on United States and Brazil cross border opportunities.[4][5][6 He is also a partner in Related Brazil, a mixed use developer in Brazil. He has recently served on the advisory board for SOUTHCOM, the Military Commander for Central and South America, on the Secretary of State’s Foreign Advisory Board (FAPB), the President’s Intelligence Advisory Board (PIAB), and was vice chairman of the Bi-Partisan Federal Commission on Drug Policy for the Western Hemisphere. He has previously served on the Military Advisory Board for EUCOM and NATO. Today he serves on the board of the American Frontier Fund (AFF), created to partner with the US Government to advance America’s technology leadership. He also serves on the board of the Council of the Americas, the Council of American Ambassadors, Christie’s Advisory Board for the Americas, and The Atlantic Council. He is also a member of the Council of Foreign Relations (CFR), and an Advisor to the Partnership for Central America (PCA). PCA is the coordinating body for businesses and social enterprises to support innovative, effective and scalable initiatives aimed at economic growth and human development in Central America. He has served as a board member of Diamond Offshore Drilling (NYSE-DO), Aegon (NYSE –