András Simonyi

András Simonyi (born 16 May 1952) is a former Hungarian ambassador, transportation economist, and author. He was the Hungarian ambassador to the United States between 2002 and 2007. He was also Hungary's first ambassador to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

Simonyi plays guitar in a rock band, The Coalition of the Willing (est.2003) with guitarist Jeff "Skunk" Baxter which has Antony Blinken as a regular guest.

He is the author of "Rocking Toward a Free World: When the Stratocaster beat the Kalashnikov" (Hatchette, 2019) about the influence of rock. He has appeared several times on The Colbert Report.

Early childhood Simonyi was born 16 May 1952 in Budapest In Denmark, Simonyi attended British-run international-school and Danish government school, learning Danish and English. His family returned to Hungary 1967.

Simonyi majored in transport economics at the Karl Marx University of Economics in Budapest. He graduated in 1975, writing his thesis on Denmark's security policy in the 20th century. He has a PhD in International Affairs.

Career Simonyi worked with youth exchange programs, in particular the State Committee for Youth and the World Federation of Democratic Youth (WFDY), a "frontline" organization speaking out against the imperialist practices of capitalist countries and of NATO. This work brought him into contact with the American Council of Young Political Leaders. From 1984 to 1989 he worked for the now defunct Hungarian Socialist Workers' Party in the foreign relations department

Simonyi was appointed ambassador to the U.S. in 2002 under the administration of Prime Minister Péter Medgyessy and presented his credentials on 25 September 2002. He replaced ambassador Géza Jeszenszky, who left office in August, 2002. Simonyi held the position until 2007.

In 2007, Simonyi was appointed chairman of Korda Studios.

Simonyi is a senior fellow at the Global Energy Center Atlantic Council of the United States.

Academia In November 2010, Simonyi began a tour of American university and college centers. He focused his lectures on building transatlantic relationships through innovation.

From 2012 to 2018 he was the managing director of the Center for Transatlantic Relations at the Paul Nitze School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University in Washington DC.

Voting was taking place in an online poll on the Ministry's website. On 8 August 2006, the newswire service Reuters reported that Chuck Norris was the leading candidate.

Simonyi appeared on the 10 April 2007 episode, in response to comments Colbert claimed to have made on his supposed radio show, Colbert on the Ert, about Hungarians' lack of guitar playing talent, in a parody of Don Imus' recent comments about the Rutgers women's basketball team. After referring to the alleged scandal throughout the episode, the ambassador appeared suddenly in the tag playing an electric guitar live. After Simonyi offered Colbert the Hungarian-made eagle-headed guitar, Colbert apologized, they both agreed that the Finnish could not play guitar, and Simonyi played as the show went to credits.

Literary work "Rocking Toward a Free World: When the Stratocaster Beat the Kalashnikov" is a 2019 memoir about Simonyi's childhood and youth, growing up behind the Iron Curtain with Western Rock and Roll music being his defining experience. "When I listened to that station, it was as if I had once again become one with my friends in the West. I closed my eyes and the border disappeared", he says in the book.

Personal life Simonyi lives in the United States. He is married and has two children. His greatest influence are his parents. He considers Winston Churchill a role model.

Music As a seven year old, Simonyi met American singer Paul Robeson in Budapest, which sealed his love of American blues music. In 1963 he heard the Beatles for the first time and has been a rock devotee ever since.

His first rock band was called the Purple Generator. In 2003, while ambassador to the United States, he became a founding member of The Coalition of the Willing with Jeff "Skunk" Baxter (Steely Dan, Doobie Brothers), Linc Bloomfield (bass), Dan Poneman (guitar), Alexander "Sandy" Vershbow (drums 2003–2004) and Dan McDermot (drums 2004–present). Former U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken (guitar, vocals) has played with the band since 2016.