Anthropic has appointed Mariano-Florentino Cuéllar as its first Chief Global Affairs Officer, strengthening the company’s leadership team as governments around the world take a closer look at advanced artificial intelligence.
Cuéllar will report to Anthropic President Daniela Amodei and will oversee the company’s relationships with governments in the United States and other international markets. His appointment comes at a time when AI companies are facing increasing pressure to address questions around regulation, safety, national security, and responsible deployment.
The move also comes as Anthropic continues to deal with a complicated relationship with the U.S. government. The company has faced disagreements with the Trump administration over the use of its AI technology for military and national security purposes, making government affairs an increasingly important part of its global strategy.
A Policy Leader With Government and Legal Experience
Cuéllar brings extensive experience in government, law, national security, and international policy. Before joining Anthropic, he served as president of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, where he worked on issues including national security and nuclear proliferation.
Earlier in his career, Cuéllar served in the Obama administration and later became an associate justice of the California Supreme Court. His experience across government institutions and the legal system gives him a background that is particularly relevant as policymakers work to establish new rules for advanced AI.
Cuéllar has also been involved directly in discussions around AI governance. A 2025 study he co-led contributed to the development of California legislation that protects AI whistleblowers and requires certain high-revenue AI developers to report information about safety standards and incidents.
Navigating a Difficult Government Relationship
Cuéllar’s appointment comes after a turbulent period between Anthropic and the U.S. government. Earlier this year, the Pentagon placed Anthropic’s technology on a blacklist following a dispute over restrictions the company had placed on certain military uses of its AI systems.
Anthropic has challenged the decision in court, while disagreements have also emerged around the international distribution of some of the company’s most advanced AI models. These developments have highlighted the extent to which government policy can influence the growth and deployment of AI technologies.
For Anthropic, managing those relationships is becoming more than a traditional government affairs function. Decisions made by policymakers can affect where the company’s models can be sold, how they can be used, and whether they can be deployed in sensitive areas such as defense and national security.
AI Regulation Is Becoming a Business Issue
The challenges facing Anthropic reflect a broader change across the AI industry. Companies developing increasingly capable models are no longer dealing only with questions around computing power, model performance, and product development.
They must also navigate cybersecurity, privacy, intellectual property, safety requirements, and national security concerns. As governments introduce new rules, these issues are becoming directly connected to how AI companies build products and expand into new markets.
This makes policy expertise increasingly valuable at the executive level. For Anthropic, having a leader focused on government and international affairs could help the company engage with policymakers while continuing to develop and commercialize its Claude AI models.
Cuéllar’s Existing Connection to Anthropic
Cuéllar is already familiar with Anthropic’s public benefit structure. Since January, he had served on the company’s Long-Term Benefit Trust, an independent body designed to help ensure that Anthropic remains aligned with its public benefit mission.
He will step down from that position as he takes on his new executive role. The trust is expected to appoint a successor to the independent four-person body.
The transition gives Cuéllar a different position within the company. Instead of serving in an oversight capacity, he will now work directly with Anthropic’s leadership as the company manages its relationships with governments and policymakers.
A Strategic Appointment for Anthropic
Anthropic’s decision to create the Chief Global Affairs Officer position reflects the growing importance of policy in the AI sector. As advanced models become more powerful and widely deployed, companies increasingly need to work with governments alongside customers, developers, and other technology partners.
Cuéllar’s combination of government experience, legal expertise, national security knowledge, and work in AI policy gives Anthropic a senior executive dedicated to navigating those challenges. His background could also help the company find common ground with policymakers as debates over AI regulation and national security continue.
The appointment comes at an important stage for Anthropic. The company is expanding internationally while facing greater scrutiny over how its technology should be used, particularly in sensitive government and defense applications.
With Cuéllar taking responsibility for global affairs, Anthropic is signaling that government relations and AI policy will play a larger role in its next stage of growth. As governments continue to shape the rules around advanced AI, that ability to navigate policy could become just as important as the technology itself.