Michel Issa

Michel Issa (Arabic: ميشال عيسى; born 1955) is a Lebanese-American diplomat and businessman who has been serving as the United States ambassador to Lebanon since 2025.

Early life and education Issa was born in Bsous, a village in Lebanon's Aley District, and spent part of his childhood in Beirut before moving to Paris and later to New York. He studied economics at Paris Nanterre University and began his career in the banking sector, working for Arab and French banks including Crédit Agricole and Chase Manhattan Bank.

Career Issa has held senior executive positions in corporate finance, restructuring, and rehabilitation. According to publicly available professional information, he has overseen or advised on numerous restructuring and debt financing projects involving corporate and real estate clients. He is a Certified Public Accountant and a Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Trustee, and has lectured at several business schools. The nomination was referred to the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, which held hearings on July 29, 2025, and reported the nomination favorably on September 17, 2025. The Senate invoked cloture and confirmed his nomination on October 6, 2025, by a 50–45 vote.

Personal life Issa was born in Lebanon to a Maronite Christian family and later naturalized as an American citizen. He stated during his Senate confirmation hearing that he voluntarily renounced his Lebanese citizenship prior to assuming his diplomatic role. He currently resides in New York City.