• John R. Gagain Jr. •

John R. Gagain Jr. is Managing Director at ASGK Public Strategies. In this capacity, Gagain works with companies and advocacy organizations to develop public affairs and reputation enhancement campaigns in Latin America, Europe and the United States.

In addition to his work at ASGK, Gagain serves as Senior Advisor to the United Nations for its Global Compact, a U.N initiative to encourage businesses to adopt socially responsible policies.

Gagain has worked for more than a decade in the realm of policy and strategy and has helped government, business, and academia join efforts in ensuring the sustainable economic and social development of their communities.

In 2004, he was asked to serve as Executive Director of the first Presidential Commission on the U.N.’s Millennium Development Goals and Sustainable Development by Dr. Leonel Fernandez, President of the Dominican Republic. The Presidential Commission began as an ambitious pilot country initiative of the U.N.’s Millennium Project, which was created by former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan and directed by Dr. Jeffrey Sachs with the purpose of challenging world leaders to implement concrete recommendations formulated by a Task Force of the world’s best scientists, economists and professors. The initiative has since become a resource for many visionary world leaders.

Since its establishment in 2000, he has served in many different capacities including head of globalization and global studies at the Fundación Global Democracia y Desarrollo (FUNGLODE)—a private non-partisan think tank and university created by Dr. Leonel Fernandez. He also leads the foundation’s academic work in applied politics, political marketing and message formulation as well as corporate social responsibility.

John has studied at Pace University, Columbia University, Harvard University, Tecnológico de Monterrey, México (ITESM); U.N. Staff College in Turin, Italy; and the World Bank Institute and has taught courses at FUNGLODE and George Washington University as visiting professor in disciplines including message formulation for campaigns as well as international affairs and U.N. studies.

From 2001-2004, John was Executive Vice-President of the United Nations Association of the Dominican Republic (UNA-DR) and from 1998-2001 Education Coordinator at the United Nations Association of the USA (UNA-USA) in New York.

John is a consultant with the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), where infrequently he serves as a writer for the Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB).

John resides in the Dominican Republic.