United States President Joe Biden on Friday nominated Indian-American lawyer diplomat Rich Verma as Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources.
The 54-year-old is currently the Chief Legal Officer and Head of Global Public Policy at Mastercard. Prior to being nominated for the top diplomatic position at the State Department, Verma served as the former US Ambassador to India from January 16, 2015 to January 20, 2017.
If confirmed by the US Senate, he will be the highest ranking Indian American in the State Department. Verma served as the Assistant Secretary of State for Legislative Affairs during the Obama administration.
Verma has served as Vice Chairman of The Asia Group, Partner and Senior Counsel at Steptoe & Johnson LLP, and Senior Counsel at Albright Stonebridge Group. He is a veteran of the United States Air Force, where he served on active duty as a Judge Advocate.
The Indian-American holds a B.S. at Lehigh University, a JD cum laude at American University, an LL.M. with distinction at the Georgetown University Law Center, and a Ph.D. at Georgetown University.
He is the recipient of numerous awards and decorations, including the Distinguished Service Medal from the State Department, the International Affairs Fellowship from the Council on Foreign Relations, and the Meritorious Service Medal from the United States Air Force.
A former member of the Weapons of Mass Destruction and Terrorism Commission, Verma was appointed to the President’s Intelligence Advisory Board. He serves as a trustee of The Ford Foundation, and is on several other boards, including the National Endowment for Democracy and Lehigh University.