David Thorne

David Thorne

David Thorne was sworn in as the U.S. Ambassador to Italy and to the Republic of San Marino on August 17, 2009. Ambassador Thorne has a lifelong personal connection to Italy. He moved with his family to Rome in 1953, when his father, Landon Thorne Jr., was appointed by President Eisenhower to administer the Marshall Plan for Italy.

He grew up in Rome learning fluent Italian and nurturing a deep appreciation and knowledge of Italy’s culture, politics, and society. After leaving the Foreign Service, his father published the Rome Daily American, established and directed the Italian branch of Banker Trust Company, and served as trustee of the American Academy in Rome.

Ambassador Thorne and his family have continued to support the American Academy and the arts in Italy and Boston for over fifty years. On a personal sports note, during his years in Italy Ambassador Thorne could not escape the infection of soccer mania. He played soccer in college and has continued to play league soccer in New England. As long as they are not competing against the U.S. team, he remains an Italian-team “tifoso” during European and World Cup play.

Ambassador Thorne is co-founder of Adviser Investments, one of the nation’s most highly regarded firms specializing in Vanguard and Fidelity mutual funds and exchange-traded funds. He has been an investor and entrepreneur in a wide variety of business ventures, including marketing consulting, real estate, publishing, and financial services. He recently sold his publishing business to Martha Stewart Omnimedia. Ambassador Thorne is a former President and current Board member of the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston and led the design oversight team for its new building in Boston.

He graduated from Yale University in 1966 with a BA in American History and received a Masters degree in Journalism from Columbia University in 1971. Ambassador Thorne served in the U.S. Navy from 1966-1970 and is author of The New Soldier (Macmillan 1971). He is married to Rose Thorne and has two children.