Sarah Beran

Sarah joined MAP following a distinguished 23-year career in the US Foreign Service, most recently serving as Deputy Chief of Mission at the US Embassy in Beijing and as Senior Director for China and Taiwan Affairs at the White House National Security Council.

As the principal advisor to the President and National Security Advisor on China and Taiwan (2022-2024), her portfolio encompassed technology export controls, investment screening, trade policy, counternarcotics, Russia sanctions and Taiwan contingency planning. She led strategic preparations for multiple heads-of-state summits, negotiated the reopening of senior diplomatic channels with Beijing, and helped forge the first US-China understanding on AI safety in the context of nuclear command and control. 

At the National Security Council, Sarah also led interagency policy coordination on the expansion of technology export controls, investment screening, trade policy, counternarcotics, Russia sanctions and Taiwan contingency planning. 

Over the course of her 23-year career in the US Foreign Service, Sarah also served as former US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken’s Deputy Executive Secretary for the Indo-Pacific, led the office responsible for US engagement in APEC and served as former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s Director of the Office of Chinese and Mongolian Affairs. She was posted overseas in Beijing, Islamabad, Jerusalem and Quito, and she speaks Mandarin, Spanish and Arabic. 

In her role as MAP Partner, Sarah will provide clients with nuanced and informed counsel on the strategic, political and regulatory challenges shaping today’s macro environment. Her experience at the highest levels of government – and her engagement on the frontlines with firms making critical business decisions driven by government policy – uniquely positions her to counsel corporate leaders, investors and foundations navigating evolving US-China relations, supply chain vulnerabilities, and the shifting global regulatory landscape. Her deep understanding of the strategic drivers behind US foreign policy – combined with her direct experience managing critical negotiations, crisis scenarios, and regulatory frameworks – enables her to authoritatively advise global businesses, investors and organizations on anticipating policy shifts, mitigating geopolitical risk, and identifying opportunity amid volatility.