John Lichtefeld is the Managing Director for Southeast Asia at The Asia Group. In this capacity, he helps oversee and direct TAG’s teams of professional consultants in Washington DC and across Southeast Asia. John has also been integral to The Asia Group’s expansion in-region, including the launching of offices in Hanoi and Bangkok, and development of partnerships and practices in Indonesia and the Philippines. Though based in Washington DC, John spends significant time in-region working closely with TAG’s in-market teams and partners.
John has over a decade of experience operating in markets across Southeast Asia and has traveled and worked extensively throughout the region. This experience informs his approach to and understanding of the unique dynamics and business challenges in these markets and provides him with a nuanced perspective on the political economy of foreign investment. Over the course of his career, John has supported projects in the automotive, business process outsourcing, defense, e-commerce, manufacturing, media, non-profit, power & energy, sustainability, technology, telecommunications, and tourism & hospitality sectors.
Prior to joining The Asia Group, John held various roles as an attorney, working in Burma, Cambodia, and Thailand. Outside of advising private sector clients, he has also dedicated significant time to researching and consulting on the impacts of climate and environmental change in Southeast Asia, as well as the ongoing clean energy transition throughout the region. Since returning to the United States, John has continued his work in this area, serving as a Non-Resident Fellow for The Stimson Center’s Southeast Asia/Energy, Water, and Sustainability Program and the Center for Climate and Security, regularly publishing, giving talks, and teaching courses on climate change and its security and economic implications for Southeast Asia.
John has a Master of Arts in Security Policy Studies from the Elliott School of International Affairs at the George Washington University, a J.D. from Georgetown Law, and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Johns Hopkins University. When he is not reading or writing about Southeast Asia, he is an avid cyclist, amateur chef, and occasional disc jockey.