Marilyn Ware

Ambassador (Retired) Marilyn Ware, a business woman, social advocate and philanthropist, was nominated by President Bush as the U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Finland in October 2005. Following Senate confirmation in December 2005, Ambassador Ware was sworn in by Vice President Dick Cheney and served at the U.S. Embassy in Helsinki through March 2008. Currently, Ambassador Ware is the Chairman for the Ware Family Office in Denver, Colorado. Between 1988 and2003, Ambassador Ware served as Chairman of the Board of American Water Works Company, a New York Stock Exchange Company and the largest investor-owned water company in the United States. During this period, she led the company in devising and implementing a vigorous and highly successful growth and consolidation strategy, increasing market capitalization from $1.4 billion in 1988 to $8.3 billion upon its sale to RWE in January 2003. Ambassador Ware subsequently served on the International Economic Advisory Board of RWE and as a member of the International Advisory Council of Thames Water, Plc. In 2002, President Bush appointed her to serve on the National Critical Infrastructure Advisory Council, a position that she held until her appointment as U.S. Ambassador. Ambassador Ware has also served on the Board of Directors of CIGNA, IKON Office Solutions, and PPL Corporation. She was a founding member and Honorary President of WaterAid America, an international charity dedicated to the provision of safe domestic water, sanitation systems and hygiene education in 15 countries. In March 2012, the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) announced the creation of the Marilyn Ware Center for Security Studies at AEI. The Center will substantially increase AEI’s capacity to address America’s historic role as a beacon of freedom and a leader in security and defense worldwide. Ambassador Ware is a longtime trustee of the Institute. She is the parent of three adult children and the daughter of the late Congressman John H. Ware, III and his wife Marian Ware, both deceased.