Maya Malkani

Maya Malkani is a visiting researcher with the Transatlantic Security Program at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS) and a career official in the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy at the U.S. Department of Defense. She served as chief of staff to the assistant secretary of defense for international security affairs from 2021–2025, providing policy expertise on Africa; Europe and NATO; the Middle East; and Russia, Ukraine and Eurasia. She advised the assistant secretary on regional relationships and issues, associated policymaking processes, and oversaw organizational operations across five offices in optimizing support to the secretary of defense. From 2019–2021, she was instrumental in the establishment and institutionalization of the Office for China, Taiwan, and Mongolia Policy, leading the China Global Outreach Directorate. Malkani previously managed over 20 European bilateral defense relationships during assignments with the Office of European and NATO Policy and the Office of Russia, Ukraine, and Eurasia, and was a counterterrorism advisor with the Office for Special Operations and Low Intensity Conflict. She is a recipient of the Secretary of Defense Meritorious Civilian Service medal, two Exceptional Civilian Service medals, and the Director of National Intelligence Meritorious citation. Before joining the Department of Defense, Malkani worked at the Wilson Center, U.S. Department of State, U.S. Agency for International Development, and United Nations Radio. She also taught at the Canton School for Adults in Zurich, Switzerland.

Malkani holds a dual bachelor of arts in political science and German studies from Binghamton University. She has a master of arts in international affairs from American University. Malkani also completed an academic year of study at Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich, Germany.