Getty Fiona Hill
Kenneth Keen is married to Fiona Hill, who formerly served in the Trump administration as the Senior Director for Europe and Russia on the National Security Council. Hill resigned in July of 2019. You can read more about her background and credentials here.
During closed-door testimony as part of the formal impeachment inquiry against President Donald Trump in October 2019, Hill said she had received death threats at her home. In the official transcript of her testimony, she explained others had expressed concern for her safety. A name is blacked out, but it’s likely Hill was referencing husband Kenneth Keen. Hill had said, “My [blank] picked up a phone call to have someone call me obscenities to [blank]. [Blank] very nervous about me testifying as a result of that.”
Hill testified publicly in November 2019. Keen stayed out of the spotlight as the impeachment inquiry played out.
Here’s what you need to know about Kenneth Keen.
1. Kenneth Keen & Fiona Hill Met While Working Toward Their Master’s Degrees at Harvard
Harvard UniversityFiona Hill
Fiona Hill and Kenneth Keen met on the campus of Harvard University. According to a Harvard alumni newsletter, they were both working on their Master’s degrees at the time.
Hill was working as a tutor at the Cabot House and that is where she and Keen first met. The residence is described on the university website as an “academic community made up of some 380 undergraduates, as well as associated tutors, faculty members, and scholars.”
The newsletter does not go into detail about whether Keen was also a tutor or if they worked together on any specific projects. It simply states that Cabot House is “where she met—and later wed—her husband, Kenneth Keen.”
Hill went on to earn a Ph.D. in history from Harvard in 1998. She first moved to the United States after earning her bachelor’s degree from the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. Hill’s father was a coal miner and her mother was a midwife, according to British newspaper the Times. She grew up in Bishop Auckland in northeastern England.
2. Kenneth Keen, Like His Wife, Focused On Russian Studies as a Graduate Student
Kenneth Keen and Fiona Hill shared an interest in the Soviet Union. Like his wife, Keen focused on Russian Studies as the subject of his master’s degree at Harvard.
It’s a bit unclear exactly when he earned the degree. The alumni newsletter referenced in the first section states that he earned the degree in 1991, but Keen’s LinkedIn page lists his graduation as 1990.
Keen earned his bachelor’s degree in history from Dartmouth College. After Harvard, he spent time working in the pharmaceutical industry as a public affairs manager. He returned to the classroom in 1998. Keen earned an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.
3. Kenneth Keen Works For a Consulting Group & The Family Is Based In the Washington, D.C. Area
Kenneth Keen focused on Russian Studies as a student, but it does not appear he ever pursued the topic as a career. After earning his MBA, Keen went to work for the Boston Consulting Group in 2000. His title on the company website is listed as Managing Director & Senior Partner.
Keen’s bio explains that he “has worked extensively with leading health-care and consumer companies, primarily in areas related to marketing and sales and organization.” The bio adds that Keen is the head of the firm’s office in Washington, D.C.
4. Kenneth Keen Has Accompanied Fiona Hill to Official White House Events
Kenneth Keen has kept a low profile even as wife Fiona Hill has been thrust into the national spotlight. But he appears to have been known to her Trump administration colleagues.
In April of 2018, President Trump hosted a state dinner for President Emmanuel Macron of France at the White House. According to the guest list published by the New York Times, Keen attended the dinner alongside Hill.
The couple, however, did not appear to pose for pictures. They are not included in the gallery of photos from the evening.
5. Fiona Hill & Kenneth Keen Have One Daughter
Kenneth Keen and Fiona Hill are parents to a daughter. As of March 2020, their daughter was 13 years old.
Keen and Hill’s daughter goes to the same school where several children of former presidents attended: Sidwell Friends. It’s a private institution that boasts alumni including both Obama daughters, Chelsea Clinton, Al Gore’s son, and Joe Biden’s grandchildren.
Keen and Hill were listed in a Sidwell Friends publication from 2018. It notes that they are the parents of a child that will graduate in 2025.
During a 60 Minutes interview in March 2020, Hill told a short story about her daughter. She said her daughter was nervous about a test she had in school. Hill said she tried to reassure her daughter by sharing that she felt apprehensive about testifying before Congress. The teen brushed aside the comparison and insisted that her test was a far worse experience because Hill just had “to tell the truth.” Hill did not mention Keen during that interview.
