Mr. Abraham M. Denmark is a Senior Advisor at The Asia Group, where he draws on his many years of deep experience as a leading specialist in the security and geopolitical dynamics of the Indo-Pacific and on U.S. strategy and policy toward the region. He works closely with the defense team as well as country teams across The Asia Group to assess and analyze emerging geopolitical trends, emerging technologies, and security dynamics.
Mr. Denmark most recently served as Senior Advisor to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin III. In this role, Mr. Denmark led and coordinated the Department of Defense’s efforts to develop and implement the historic AUKUS partnership with Australia and the United Kingdom. Mr. Denmark was a key architect of the Optimal Pathway for Australia to acquire conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines while setting the highest standards for nuclear nonproliferation. Mr. Denmark also led efforts to deepen cooperation among the AUKUS partners in the development and fielding of advanced capabilities, such as AI, quantum, and maritime capabilities. Mr. Denmark worked closely with leaders across the U.S. Government and with Congress to develop generational changes to the U.S. export control regime with Australia and the United Kingdom, creating a seamless environment for robust defense cooperation within AUKUS.
Mr. Denmark previously served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for East Asia. In this role, he advised the Secretary of Defense and other senior DoD leaders on a broad set of security issues related to East Asia, and was responsible for managing all aspects of the Department of Defense’s engagements, strategies, and policies related to China, Japan, South and North Korea, Taiwan, and Mongolia.
Prior to joining the Department of Defense, Mr. Denmark worked at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars as Director of the Asia Program, and later as Vice President for Programs and Director of Studies. He has also held analytic positions at the National Bureau of Asian Research, the Center for a New American Security, and in the U.S. intelligence community.
Mr. Denmark is the author of U.S. Strategy in the Asian Century: Empowering Allies and Partners (Columbia University Press, 2021). Awards include the Department of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service (2024) and the Secretary of Defense Medal for Outstanding Public Service (2017). He has also received the order of the Resplendent Banner from the Republic of China (Taiwan), and is an Honorary Rear Admiral in the Republic of Korea Navy.
A Colorado native, Mr. Denmark received an M.A. from the University of Denver Korbel School for International Studies, and a B.A. with Honors from the University of Northern Colorado. He is pursuing a Ph.D. at King’s College London, writing a dissertation on the history of great power competition in the strategic periphery. He lives with his wife and children in Maryland.