Ambassador (ret) Christopher Henzel was chief of the U.S. mission to Yemen from 2019 to 2021. From 2017 to 2019 he served as charge d’affaires for the U.S. mission in Saudi Arabia. In earlier overseas postings he was head of the Ninewa Province Reconstruction Team in Mosul, Iraq; deputy chief of mission in Manama, Bahrain; and counselor for political affairs in Amman, Jordan. At the State Department in Washington, he served in roles that included director of the Office of Israel and Palestinian Affairs, deputy director for Egypt and North Africa, and desk officer for Iran. He retired in 2021.

His work has been recognized with the presidential rank award for 2021, several State Department meritorious and superior honor awards, the U.S. Army’s superior civilian service medal,
and the National War College’s Kennan award. Henzel is a graduate of the College of the Holy Cross and the National War College. He speaks Arabic, Spanish and German.

Henzel currently provides consulting services to U.S. firms doing business in the Middle East. He also serves as the chairman of the Electoral Board of Fairfax County, Virginia.