President Biden to nominate Indian-American to key Administration position

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President Joe Biden announced his intent to nominate an Indian-American to a key post in his Administration May 26, 2021.

Among the six nominations announced was that of Arun Venkataraman for Director General of the United States and Foreign Commercial Service and Assistant Secretary for Global Markets, Department of Commerce.

As the first ever Director of Policy at the Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration under President Obama, Venkataraman helped shape the U.S. government’s responses to critical challenges faced by firms in the US and in markets around the world, including China and India, the White House said in its press release.

Venkataraman has more than 20 years of experience advising companies, international organizations and the U.S. government on international trade issues, according to the profile provided by the White House.

He is currently Counselor to the Secretary of Commerce, advising the Department on trade and other international economic matters.

Before joining the Biden-Harris Administration, Venkataraman  was a Senior Director at Visa, leading global government engagement strategy on a range of international policy issues including digital economy, trade, tax and sanctions.

He previously served as Trade & Investment Policy Advisor at Steptoe & Johnson LLP, where he counseled multinational firms and other organizations on e-commerce, intellectual property rights, and U.S. and foreign trade policies.

While at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), he led the development and implementation of US-India trade policy as the Director for India, for which he received the agency’s Kelly Award for outstanding performance and extraordinary leadership.

Venkataraman also served as Associate General Counsel, representing the United States in litigation before the World Trade Organization and in negotiations on international trade agreements.

Before joining USTR, Venkataraman was a Legal Officer at the World Trade Organization, advising the organization on a wide range of issues raised in appeals of trade disputes between countries.

He began his career as a Law Clerk for Judge Jane A. Restani at the U.S. Court of International Trade.

Venkataraman holds a J.D. from Columbia Law School, a Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, and a B.A. from Tufts University.

Other nominations announced by the President along with Venkataraman, include Brian Nelson for Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, Department of the Treasury; Lisa Brown for General Counsel of the Department of Education; Matt Olsen for Assistant Attorney General, National Security Division, Department of Justice; Elizabeth Rosenberg for Assistant Secretary for Terrorism Financing, Department of the Treasury; and Gwynne Wilcox, Nominee for Member of the National Labor Relations Board.