US elevates Rich Verma to top post in State Department

Washington: Indian-American lawyer diplomat Rich Verma has been nominated by US President Joe Biden to a top diplomatic position in the State Department. Verma, 54, who served as a former US ambassador to India from January 16, 2015, to January 20, 2017 is currently the Chief Legal Officer and Head of Global Public Policy at Mastercard.

If confirmed by the US Senate, he would serve as the Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources, thus making him the highest-ranking Indian American in the State Department. Biden on Friday announced the nomination of Verma. During the Obama administration, Verma also served as Assistant Secretary of State for Legislative Affairs.

Earlier in his career, he was National Security Advisor to United States Senator Harry Reid while he was a Democratic Whip, Minority Leader and then Majority Leader of the United States Senate. He has served as Vice Chairman of The Asia Group, Partner and Senior Counsellor at Steptoe & Johnson LLP, and Senior Counsellor at the Albright Stonebridge Group. He is a veteran of the United States Air Force, where he served on active duty as a Judge Advocate.

"Ambassador Verma is uniquely well-qualified to become the State Department's number two official. The breadth and depth of his experience and vision will make him a potent leader in protecting and promoting American interests and values around the world," Ronak D Desai, prominent attorney and leading India practitioner at Paul Hastings LLP and expert at the Lakshmi Mittal South Asia Institute at the Harvard University, said on the White House announcement.