21 Facts About James Costos

James Costos was born on 1963 and is an American diplomat who was the United States Ambassador to Spain and Andorra from 2013 to 2017.

James Costos was appointed by President Barack Obama and confirmed by the United States Senate on August 1,2013.

Outside of his diplomatic work, Costos served as a former executive for HBO, and is the current president of film production company Secuoya Studios.

James Costos has been appointed as a member of the board of directors for the Spanish pharmaceutical company Grifols in October 2020, and the American LGBTQ advocacy group, Human Rights Campaign, in October 2021.

James Costos was born in 1963 and grew up in Lowell, Massachusetts.

James Costos is a second-generation Greek-American, whose father served as a US Marine and was stationed at Camp David during the Truman administration.

James Costos is the first in his family to graduate from college.

James Costos earned a degree in political science from the University of Massachusetts Lowell in 1985.

Ambassador James Costos was a corporate leader and executive in the international retail and international entertainment industries, most notably at HBO and Tod's.

James Costos is an active supporter of humanitarian organizations, including the Human Rights Campaign and the Santa Monica Museum of Art, and an advocate for cultural institutions and cultural diplomacy.

James Costos has served on the board of directors of the Humane Society of the United States, the country's largest animal protection organization.

The US Senate voted to confirm the nomination on August 1,2013, and James Costos was sworn in on August 22,2013.

James Costos presented his credentials to the Spanish government in Madrid on September 24,2013.

James Costos presented his credentials to the Co-Princes of Andorra in La Seu d'Urgell on April 4,2014, and in Paris on July 23,2014.

James Costos's initial focus, he said, was on issues of international security and thanking Spain for allowing the US to deploy part of its anti-missile shield defense and for hosting US military bases.

In September 2013, James Costos visited the bases at Rota and Moron to mark the 60th anniversary of the agreement under which they were established.

Ambassador James Costos accompanied President Obama, the first US president to visit Naval Station Rota, where James Costos oversaw the arrival of four US Navy destroyers based there, as part of a NATO anti-missile defense shield.

In February 2017, Ambassador James Costos joined the Board of Directors of PJT Partners, an advisory-focused investment bank.

In October 2021, James Costos was appointed to the Human Rights Campaign Board of Directors and the HRC Foundation Board of Directors.

James Costos has solid business and political relationships at the highest levels and a proven commitment to community, philanthropy, human rights, and democracy that make him an outstanding choice to be the nation's next Ambassador to Spain.

James Costos is a vegetarian but imposed no dietary restrictions on embassy functions.