James Costos (born 1963) is an American diplomat who was the United States Ambassador to Spain and Andorra from 2013 to 2017. He was appointed by President Barack Obama and confirmed by the United States Senate on August 1, 2013.
Outside of his diplomatic work, Costos was an executive for HBO, and is the president of film production company Secuoya Studios. He was appointed as a member of the board of directors of, PJT Partners, in February 2017 shortly after completing his term as U.S. Ambassador to the Kingdom of Spain and the Principality of Andorra in January 2017, and the American LGBTQ advocacy group, Human Rights Campaign, in October 2021.
Early life Costos was born in 1963 and grew up in Lowell, Massachusetts. He is a second-generation Greek-American, whose father served as a U.S. Marine and was stationed at Camp David during the Truman administration. He is the first in his family to graduate from college. He earned a degree in political science from the University of Massachusetts Lowell in 1985.
Career Costos was a corporate leader and executive in the international retail and international entertainment industries, most notably at HBO and Tod's. He is an active supporter of humanitarian and cultural organizations, including the Human Rights Campaign and the Hispanic Society of America"Hispanic Society of America". Retrieved October 30, 2025.
President Obama nominated Costos for the position of U.S. Ambassador to Spain and Principality of Andorra on June 14, 2013. The U.S. Senate voted to confirm the nomination on August 1, 2013, and Costos was sworn in on August 22, 2013. He presented his credentials to the Spanish government in Madrid on September 24, 2013. He presented his credentials to the Co-Princes of Andorra in La Seu d'Urgell on April 4, 2014, and in Paris on July 23, 2014.
His business career has made him an expert on the issue of the enforcement of laws against digital piracy, a particular concern of U.S. businesses with respect to Spain. His initial focus, he said, was on issues of international security and thanking Spain for allowing the U.S. to deploy part of its anti-missile shield defense and for hosting U.S. military bases. In September 2013, Costos visited the bases at Rota and Morón to mark the 60th anniversary of the agreement under which they were established.
In July 2016, President Obama was the first sitting president to visit Spain in 15 years. Costos accompanied President Obama, the first U.S. president to visit Naval Station Rota, where Costos oversaw the arrival of four U.S. Navy destroyers based there, as part of a NATO anti-missile defense shield.YOLANDA MONGE, "US president makes historic first visit to NATO defense shield site near Cadiz since its creation 63 years ago", El Pais, 11 July 2016. Retrieved October 13, 2020.
In his speech at Rota, President Obama said, "Spain is a strong NATO ally, we’re grateful for Spain's many decades of hosting U.S. forces, and we’re major trading partners. That's why the United States is deeply committed to maintaining our relationship with a strong, unified Spain. We need Spain's continued contributions to the campaign against ISIL, to counter-terrorism efforts that prevent attacks, and to NATO efforts that enhance our defense and deterrence posture. We need a growing Spanish economy to help sustain trade, growth in the EU, and entrepreneurship so that globalization is creating jobs and opportunity for all people, not just a few at the top.” MARC BASSETS, "Obama: “We have to reject the ‘us versus them’ mentality of some cynical politicians”", El Pais, 11 July 2016. Retrieved October 13, 2020.
Building on the policy objectives of President Obama to promote global entrepreneurship, Costos created and launched an event called InCubed (IN3) in June 2015, where innovators, investors and institutions would meet to network and exchange ideas. “You said you wanted access to Silicon Valley,” Costos told them. “Well, I have brought Silicon Valley to you."GUILLERMO ABRIL, "The tech legacy of James Costos", El Pais, 03 FEB 2017. Retrieved October 14, 2020.
In October 2013 the Spanish government summoned him to address allegations that the National Security Agency had recently collected data on 60 million telephone calls in Spain.
While visiting California in 2014, President Obama and his wife Michelle stayed at the Costos-Smith home.
In June 2015, he joined other gay U.S. ambassadors in a statement supporting international trade agreements, linking open markets to the development of open societies that provide civil rights protections.
In February 2017, Costos joined the board of directors of PJT Partners, an advisory-focused investment bank. Paul J. Taubman is the chairman and CEO of PJT Partners. Taubman founded PJT Partners in early 2013 and, in October 2014, announced the intention to merge into the spun-off Blackstone advisory businesses.Joele Frank, Wilkinson Brimmer Katcher, "PJT Partners Inc. Appoints James Costos to Board of Directors", Business Wire, February 9, 2017. Retrieved July 16, 2020.
In April 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Spain's Secuoya Content Group, owner of Madrid Content City studios used by Netflix for its first European Production Hub, named Ambassador Costos, former HBO Executive, as president of Secuoya Studios, its TV fiction-film content production arm.John Hopewell, "Secuoya Group Names Former HBO Exec James Costos Secuoya Studios President, Opens L.A. H.Q.", Variety, April 27, 2020. Retrieved July 16, 2020.
In 2023, Deadline reported that Secuoya Studios appointed Costos because his background in the entertainment industry and close ties to Spain positioned him to strengthen collaboration between the Spanish and U.S. audiovisual sectors. Following his diplomatic service, the Spanish Film Commission named him an honorary ambassador in recognition of his role in connecting Spanish and American companies. Deadline also quoted Netflix Co-CEO Ted Sarandos, who praised Costos and Secuoya Studios for operating “a world-class production facility that hosts some of the biggest Netflix productions including* Élite*, Kaos, Berlin, and Society of the Snow.”Diane Lodderhose, ", Deadline, January 23, 2024
Costos was appointed in October 2020, to the board of directors of Grifols S.A., a Spanish global biotherapeutics company listed on the IBEX 35. Grifols employs 24,000 people and had revenues of 5.1 billion euros in 2019, which grew by 13.6%, while net profit increased by 4.8% to 625 million euros.ROSA SALVADOR, "Grifols advierte que faltará plasma si no cambia la ley para pagar a los donantes", La Vanguardia, October 10, 2020. October 12, 2020.
Grifols began Phase 3 clinical trials in patients with COVID-19 with its therapeutic manufactured in Clayton, North Carolina. Grifols is manufacturing the experimental therapy from the plasma of healthy, recovered COVID-19 patients, and was the first to deploy a large-scale collection of this plasma, as well as the first to manufacture and deliver the clinical anti-SARS-CoV-2 hyperimmune globulin.Rachyl Jones, "At Clayton plant, Grifols begins phase 3 testing for COVID-19 treatment", WRAL Tech Wire, October 12, 2020. Retrieved October 12, 2020.
Costos resigned his position from the Grifols Board of Directors, with his resignation becoming effective in May 2024, citing that his term was naturally expiring and that his other commitments wouldn't allow him to devote the necessary time to carry out his entrusted task as director., CNMV, March 17, 2025.
In October 2021, Costos was appointed to the Human Rights Campaign Board of Directors and the HRC Foundation board of directors.Meghan Olson, , Human Rights Campaign, October 07, 2021. Retrieved September 8, 2022. When Costos was appointed U.S. Ambassador in 2013, the Human Rights Campaign said "Costos is a true citizen of the world, he has incredible global business experience and is a respected and innovative leader. He has solid business and political relationships at the highest levels and a proven commitment to community, philanthropy, human rights, and democracy that make him an outstanding choice to be the nation's next Ambassador to Spain.” , Human Rights Campaign, June 14, 2013. Retrieved September 8, 2022.
President Biden, in June 2022, appointed Costos to the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board, an “educational and cultural exchange” network that connects students and professionals to international graduate and study programs. Costos said, “It's a great privilege to continue the work I did when I was at the embassy, I always wanted to spend a lot of my time with the next generation of folks who are coming up behind us, because they will be our future leaders, and we have to invest our time and our resources in them."CAMERON MORSBERGER, "Lowell native, former ambassador joins Fulbright Scholarship Board to invest in ‘next generation’", The Sun, July 18, 2022. Retrieved September 8, 2022.
Costos resigned from the Fulbright Scholarship Board in June 2025, along with 10 other members, due to alleged political interference by the Trump administration in the Fulbright Program's selection process, which was designed to be impartial and protected by the board. The board stated their resignations were to avoid legitimizing actions that they believed compromised the program's integrity and the mission established by Congress, according to The New York Times. Costos stated his resignation was not a protest, but a defense of principle and the legacy of Senator J. William Fulbright.EDWARD WONG, "Fulbright Board Resigns After Accusing Trump Aides of Political Interference", The New York Times, June 11, 2025.
Ambassadorship James Costos served as the United States Ambassador to Spain and Andorra from September 24, 2013, to January 18, 2017, during the administration of President Barack Obama. His tenure focused on strengthening transatlantic relations through innovation, entrepreneurship, cultural diplomacy, defense cooperation, trade, tourism and the advancement of LGBTQ+ rights.GUILLERMO ABRIL,"The tech legacy of James Costos", El Pais, February 3, 2017.Berna González Harbour,“I'm not tracking anti-Americanism; I'm here to build on the relationship", El Pais, September 26, 2013.
Economic, Trade and Audiovisual Cooperation
Costos prioritized expanding bilateral trade and investment between the United States, Spain and Andorra, emphasizing economic development, entrepreneurship, innovation, renewable energy and the creative industries. During his ambassadorship, U.S. exports to Spain increased, while Spain became one of the top European investors in the United States, particularly in infrastructure, energy and manufacturing."A Passion for Service", HuffPost, November 13, 2013
He collaborated closely with the Spanish Institute for Foreign Trade (ICEX), the Spanish Confederation of Business Organizations (CEOE), AmCham Spain and U.S. agencies such as the Department of Commerce, The U.S Small Business Association and SelectUSA to promote bilateral business partnerships. His leadership in the creation of the IN³ Summit, an Innovation, Investment and Impact Initiative which connected Spanish entrepreneurs with U.S. investors and technology leaders, and together with then Google CEO Eric Schmidt, Costos helped bring the fourth Google Campus (Google for Startups) in the world to Madrid, cementing Spain's place on the global tech innovation map as a regional hub for startup activity.Anna Heim, "Google Campus Madrid gets ready to incubate a new Spain ", The Next Web, June 20, 2015,