Commerce: Penny Pritzker
"She knows from experience that no government program alone can take the place of a great entrepreneur. She knows that what we can do is to give every business and every worker the best possible chance to succeed by making America a magnet for good jobs." President Obama
Obama praised the billionaire for her commitment to U.S. workers, listing her work on programs to promote job creation and job training as critical experience for the post. Pritzker, 53, was one of Obama's earliest supporters in Chicago, the home base of the Hyatt Hotels Corp., founded by her family. She ran a record-breaking fundraising operation for Obama's 2008 campaign and served as co-chair of his 2012 bid. Her confirmation hearings could raise questions about Hyatt's relations with labor unions. The Chicago teachers union also has been critical of her tenure on the Board of Education. She is chairman and chief executive of PSP Capital Partners and its affiliate, Pritzker Realty Group, and chairman of Artemis Real Estate Partners.
Trade: Michael Froman
"He has won the respect of our trading partners around the world. He has also won a reputation as being an extraordinarily tough negotiator while doing it. He does not rest until he's delivered the best possible deal for American businesses and American workers." President Obama
The president selected Froman, a top national security official, to be the U.S. trade representative. Froman, 50, is a former Harvard Law classmate of Obama's and has served in the White House as the deputy national security adviser for international economics since Obama first took office. Although that post was not a Cabinet position, Froman had proximity to the president and a portfolio thicker than that of the Cabinet-rank trade representative, encompassing not only trade but also international development and climate change issues. If he is confirmed, sensitive trade talks with Asia and Europe will be on his plate almost immediately.
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