Margaret Cushing Whitman, former CEO of HP, is new U.S. Ambassador to Kenya (Credit: Wikipedia)
By Gary Raynaldo DIPLOMATIC TIMES
Former Hewlett Packard CEO Margaret ‘Meg’ Whitman has been confirmed by the Senate as the new U.S. Ambassador to Kenya. President Biden had selected the billionaire former tech CEO as his envoy to Nairobi, replacing ambassador Kyle McCarter. The 65-year-old will become the second US female ambassador to Kenya since Prudence Bushnell’s appointment in 1999. Whitman was also a former candidate for Governor of California. Whitman earned an undergraduate degree from Princeton and then her MBA from Harvard. Whitman worked for a number of major US corporations, including P&G, Disney, and Hasbro, before joining eBay in 1998. She ran in 2010 as a Republican for governor in California but lost to Democrat Jerry Brown. In 2014, Whitman was named 20th in Forbes as one of the 100 Most Powerful Women in the World. In 2020, Whitman gave $500,000 to the Biden Victory Fund, a joint fundraising committee that benefited the Biden campaign and the Democratic National Committee. She serves on the boards of General Motors and Procter & Gamble.
Meg Whitman’s Testimony at her nomination hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee May 24, 2022:
“I have conducted business in numerous African countries. In 2018, I visited Kenya with The Nature Conservancy to review the organization’s work to help local communities secure their land and water rights, and thus encourage environmentally and economically sustainable water and land management practices. With a population of over 50 million, Kenya is the third largest economy in sub-Saharan Africa. Mission Nairobi is the largest U.S. embassy in sub-Saharan Africa and the 13th largest mission in the world. Its staff of 1,700 represents 34 U.S. government agencies. I will continue the current U.S. focus on supporting democracy and democratic institutions in a vibrant Kenyan society, particularly in advance of the elections in August. We want Kenya to remain a strong, reliable, and capable partner of the United States in addressing common challenges in East Africa and beyond. I will work to promote sound governance, economic prosperity, public health, regional peace and security, and cooperation in defense. Kenya is also a significant contributor to regional peace and security, especially through its contribution of troops to the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia.”
Whitman also vowed to work closely with Kenya to address instability and combat terrorism in the Horn of Africa.
U.S. Senator Mitt Romney (R-UT) introduced Meg Whitman, as nominee to be U.S. Ambassador to Kenya, at her nomination hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee May 24, 2022.
“I’ve known Meg for more than 40 years. We first met at Bain and Company early in her career. Throughout these past four decades, I’ve watched Meg build an extraordinary career. As President and CEO of Hewlett Packard beginning in 2011, Meg worked to rebuild the legendary American technology company after it fell behind in a changing world. As a result of her efforts, Hewlett Packard companies continue to thrive today. We all agree that America currently faces enormous challenges across the globe. We also agree that we need our best and brightest to represent America’s ideals and interests. Meg Whitman is expertly suited to take on the hard work of organizing our mission in Kenya and working closely and cooperatively with our Kenyan partners. The United States and the global community desire a prosperous, advancing Africa, and Kenya must play a pivotal role in stabilizing and sustaining the region. America needs Meg Whitman’s character, judgment, and sheer determination deployed to Kenya as soon as possible.”
-U.S. Sen. Romney (R-UT)
