Scot Marciel could not have asked for a better way to celebrate his 25th year with the State Department than by receiving his first ambassador assignment. A specialist in trade and economics, the career diplomat and member of the Senior Foreign Service took over as U.S. ambassador to Indonesia, arriving in country on August 16, 2010.

 

In March 2011, Marciel had to deal with the fallout from the WikiLeaks release of State Department cables that accused Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono of corruption and abuse of power, including using the national intelligence eservice to spy on his political rivals.

 

After growing up in Fremont, California, Marciel attended the University of California at Davis (Bachelor of Arts) and the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University (Master of Arts, 1983).

 

After working as editor of staff publications for the National Center for Export-Import Studies at Georgetown University, he joined the State Department in 1985.

 

In August 1993, Marciel became the first U.S. diplomat to be posted to Hanoi since the end of the Vietnam War.

 

Marciel’s subsequently served in the Philippines, In the late 1990s he was trade policy officer at the U.S. consulate in Hong Kong. He also served in Brazil, and as economic counselor in Turkey, as well as in the Economic Bureau’s Office of Monetary Affairs.

 

More recently, he has served as director of the State Department’s Office of Maritime Southeast Asia, director of the Office of Mainland Southeast Asia and director of the Office of Southeastern Europe.

 

Prior to becoming ambassador to Indonesia, Marciel was the deputy assistant secretary in the East Asia and Pacific Bureau, responsible for relations with Southeast Asia, and the ambassador for ASEAN affairs.

 

Marciel speaks Portuguese and Vietnamese. He and his wife, Mae, have two daughters.

Noel Brinkerhoff, David Wallechinsky

 

Official Biography (State Department)