Robert Tappan | Executive Director
International Biometrics + Identity Association

Robert Tappan Executive Director, International Biometrics + Identity Association

Robert Tappan has over 30 years of public affairs and communications experience, and has advised clients in the corporate, trade association, and governmental sectors, providing strategic communications counsel, as well as leadership in marketing, public affairs, crisis communications and reputation management. Prior to joining IBIA, Mr. Tappan was most recently Senior Counselor for the public affairs and advertising firm Gunster Strategies Worldwide. Previously, he was Director of External Relations for Koch Industries, serving as a spokesperson for the company and for Charles and David Koch. Prior to that, he held various leadership positions at several public affairs and public relations firms, including President of the Washington, DC office of Burson-Marsteller (now Burson), President of Weber Merritt Public Affairs, and senior management and advisory roles at Weber Shandwick, Powell Tate, and Goddard-Claussen. 

During the George W. Bush administration, from 2002 to 2006, Mr. Tappan served as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs. He directed communications and public affairs activities for the Department and oversaw nearly 250 civil servant, political appointee and Foreign Service professionals. In 2004, Mr. Tappan served in Baghdad, Iraq as Director of Strategic Communications for the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) during the Iraq War. For his service in Iraq, Secretary of Defense  Donald Rumsfeld awarded Mr. Tappan one of the highest Defense Department’s civilian honors, the Secretary of Defense Medal for Outstanding Public Service. Mr. Tappan was also the recipient of the US Department of State’s Superior Honor Award.

During the mid-1980s, Mr. Tappan served as a staffer in the Editorial Department of The Washington Post. Over the years, he has given numerous news media interviews, and has appeared on NBC Nightly News, the CBS Evening News, BBC Radio, and quoted extensively in The Washington Post, New York Times, POLITICO and many other news outlets.

A graduate of Georgetown University, he also studied at the Centre for Medieval and Renaissance Studies in Oxford, England.