Nominated by President Joseph R. Biden and confirmed by the U.S. Senate in July 2023, Ambassador Hugo Yon took up his position as the first fully dedicated U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Maldives in September 2023.

A career member of the Senior Foreign Service with the rank of Minister Counselor, Ambassador Yon previously served in numerous senior leadership positions.  In Washington, he served as Senior Advisor to the Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment; Acting Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs; Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Transportation Affairs; White House National Security Council Director for Global Economic Engagement; and National Security Council Director for South Asia.  Overseas, Ambassador Yon has worked at U.S. embassies and consulates in New Delhi, Jakarta, Beijing, and Guangzhou, as well as at the American Institute in Taiwan.  In these capacities, Ambassador Yon has been the recipient of numerous awards, including the Presidential Rank Award Commendation, Cordell Hull Award for Senior Economic Performance, Frank Loy Award for International Environmental Achievement, and National Security Service Award.

Ambassador Yon holds a Master’s degree in Public Affairs from the School of International and Public Affairs at Princeton University and a Bachelor’s degree in Political Economy from the University of California at Berkeley, where he was also a collegiate athlete in American football.  He speaks Mandarin Chinese, Cantonese, and Indonesian.

Ambassador Yon is joined by his spouse Mrs. Liza Yon.  They have a son, Hudson, and a daughter, Hannah.  Having grown up in San Francisco less than one half mile from the Pacific Ocean, Ambassador Yon is thrilled to again be close to the ocean in Maldives.