Michael Pignatello has taken on the role of Political Section Chief at the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) in Taipei. He brings a wealth of experience from his tenure with the U.S. Department of State, which he joined in 2004. His career has included various political, economic, and consular roles across Algiers, Beijing, Manila, and Taipei, as well as at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations in New York.
Pignatello's assignments in Washington have been diverse. He served as Senior Advisor in the Office of Taiwan Coordination within the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs. Additionally, he was Special Assistant to Danny Russel, then Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs. His other roles included Economic Unit Chief in the Office of Japanese Affairs and Political Unit Chief in the Office of Afghanistan Affairs. He also acted as Liaison to the Office of the Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs), supporting initiatives like the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP), a key professional exchange program initiated by the Department of State in 1940.
Before joining government service, Pignatello worked in advertising and strategic communications based out of New York City and Chicago. Proficient in Mandarin Chinese, French, and Spanish, he currently resides in Taipei with his husband and their twin children.