April H. Foley
April H. Foley served as the United States Ambassador to Hungary from 2006-2009. With her support, Hungary entered the Visa Waiver program. NATO decided to open a heavy wing aircraft program at Hungary's Papa air base. And Hungary significantly heightened its profile in Afghanistan, taking on the leadership of a PRT (Provincial Reconstruction Team) and initiating a Special Forces Program.
Prior to serving as US Ambassador to Hungary, she was appointed to be First Vice President and Vice Chairman of the Export-Import Bank of the US. She was one of six Americans on the US-Iraq Joint Economic Council, which laid plans for strengthening the economic performance of Iraq. Foley worked on the creation of the Trade Bank of Iraq, helping secure a $2 billion short-term credit facility. Ambassador Foley worked with the Minister of Finance of Afghanistan to create a development strategy that laid the groundwork for foreign direct investment.
Prior to her roles in the US government, Ambassador Foley had an extensive career in professional management. She worked for 17 years as an executive for PepsiCo in roles including strategic planning, financial management, and mergers and acquisitions. Her efforts resulted in the acquisition of Kentucky Fried Chicken. She led the introduction of shareholder value approaches to PepsiCo corporate-wide, which resulted in an acceleration of bottling and restaurant acquisitions. She initiated efforts to enhance strategic planning. At Wilson Sporting Goods, Ambassador Foley introduced strategic planning, which triggered a significant product portfolio restructuring and business turnaround. At Reader's Digest, she spearheaded efforts to diversify the business away from a very mature product line. At Pfizer, she introduced annual planning at a new factory.
After returning from Hungary, she served on the corporate boards of three public corporations: Vista Outdoor, ATK, and Xerium Technologies. She currently serves on the board of the East Northfield Water Company.
In addition to her business experience, Ambassador Foley has held significant volunteer leadership positions. She currently chairs the Hungary Foundation, which funds educational and cultural exchanges between the US and Hungary. She also chairs C4ADS, a not-for-profit intelligence organization, which uses cutting edge technology to track international illicit networks. She served on the Smith College Board of Trustees, where she chaired its Investment Committee. She was also chair of Smith's $400 million Capital Campaign. She served on the Board of Directors of the CPR Institute for Dispute Resolution. She served on the board of the United Way of Westchester and Putnam Counties and helped initiate the Alexis de Tocqueville Society there.
Ambassador Foley holds a B.A. degree from Smith College and an MBA from Harvard University. She is a widow with three children, Catherine, Gifford, and James.
