John Kennedy

John Kennedy is a research leader at RAND Europe. He leads the Regional Studies programme on Russia and Eurasia. His research at RAND has included projects for UK, European, and U.S. clients.

Kennedy's specialist interests include the political economy of the region including the natural resource sectors, defence industrial matters, business-state relations, social, regional and economic affairs, and international trade.

Prior to RAND, Kennedy worked as an independent researcher and a senior associate at Eastern Advisory Group. He has also worked at the UK's Department for International Trade where he held policy and national security roles covering the FSU, Turkey and Iran; as the trade embed in HMG's Russia Unit; at Dstl where he was a senior analyst; and as a political consultant for Weber Shandwick with a focus on the defence and advanced manufacturing industries.

Kennedy has a Ph.D. in Russian business culture from the University of Birmingham's Centre for Russian, European, and Eurasian Studies (CREES).