Siamak Namazi spent 2,898 days in Evin Prison before his release in September 2023, becoming the longest-held American hostage in Iran. During his captivity, he made a direct appeal to President Biden through a CNN interview, raising awareness of his situation and contributing to his release.

Siamak is now focused on advocating for the freedom of other hostages and promoting policies to deter rogue states from taking hostages.

Before his imprisonment, he had a successful career advising multinational corporations on strategic initiatives in the MENA region, including serving as the managing director of two consulting firms and as Head of Strategic Planning for a UAE-based energy company. He was recognized as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum in 2007 and has held fellowships at the Woodrow Wilson Center, the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), and the National Endowment for Democracy (NED).

Siamak holds an MBA from the London Business School, an MS in Urban and Regional Planning from Rutgers University, and a BA in International Relations from Tufts University. He has contributed to major news outlets, including CNN, BBC, The New York Times, and The Guardian, and has authored chapters in several academic books on political and energy issues.