Joshua (Josh) Hack, currently the number two official at the U.S. Embassy in Athens, is set to assume the role of ambassador following the departure of Kimberly Guilfoyle. Although his appointment is interim, his tenure is expected to last several months, as the process of selecting and confirming a new ambassador through Congress is a lengthy one.
Read also: White House asks Kimberly Guilfoyle to resign (Video)
Joshua Hack: The seasoned U.S. diplomat taking over from Kimberly Guilfoyle
Hack has served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, responsible for shaping policy on Southern Europe and the Caucasus. Prior to that, he served as Director of the Office of Southern European Affairs, with responsibility for Cyprus, Greece, Malta, and Turkey. Since joining the Foreign Service, he has been posted in Shanghai, Tokyo, Sofia, Rangoon, Taipei, and Hong Kong. He has also held several positions in Washington, including at the Office of Chinese Affairs and the Office of Korean Affairs. Additionally, he served as chief of staff to the Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, Kurt Campbell. Hack holds a bachelor’s degree from Johns Hopkins University and a master’s degree from the International University of Japan, and speaks Chinese, Japanese, Burmese, and Bulgarian.
The Thessaloniki International Fair visit and the message on the Vertical Gas Corridor
That energy cooperation is one of Washington’s top priorities in its relationship with Athens was already evident from the very first statements Joshua Hack made shortly after his arrival in Athens a year and a half ago. “Without Greece’s leadership, the Vertical Gas Corridor would not have been possible,” he emphasized in early September 2025, on the sidelines of a visit to Thessaloniki and the Thessaloniki International Fair. “Greece, as we can see, plays an absolutely critical role in the Vertical Gas Corridor,” he noted. “Greece has done a truly exceptional job positioning itself as an energy hub, in a way that was not the case — if you look back 10 to 20 years — it simply was not the case.”
