Leslie Schweitzer

Founder and Chair, Friends of the American University of Afghanistan (FAUAF)

Leslie M Schweitzer founded the Friends of the American University of Afghanistan (FAUAF) in 2008, a 501c3 that supports not for profit, private, co-educational, non-sectarian higher education in Afghanistan and is a member of the Board of Trustees of AUAF.

Over four decades, Schweitzer has accumulated a unique combination of establishing businesses in emerging and post conflict markets and facilitating capacity building projects throughout the world. She has amassed on-the-ground experience in over 20 countries including Afghanistan, Iraq, China, Hungary, Poland, Rumania, Turkey, Chile, Russia, Caribbean, and Central America. Schweitzer pioneered U.S.-China trade beginning in 1977 as a co-founder of Noble Trading Company.

After selling her company, Schweitzer served as the Senior Trade Advisor for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Schweitzer’s multiple responsibilities included: founding a private public partnership to promote trade between Turkey and US; creating Trade Roots, the first and only sustained national grassroots international trade education program to promote support for Congressional passage of China PNTR, TPA, trade agreements with Chile, Singapore, Australia, Morocco, CAFTA, Peru, South Korea, Panama, and Colombia; and working on the Iraq Business Initiative to re-energize U.S. investment in Iraq.

Currently, Schweitzer is the CEO of the Osage Group, an international consulting company focused on economic development in third world countries.

Schweitzer has spent a lifetime promoting women’s economic empowerment and entrepreneurism around the world.

Schweitzer is a member of U.S. Afghan Women’s Council, the Advisory Board of International Programs-University of Kansas, International Stability Operations Association Advisory Council, Board of Trustees of the Command and General Staff College Foundation, Ayenda Board of Trustees, VP of Afghan American Chamber of Commerce, and Advisory Board of Four-Star Global Security.