Obama names Froman ’85 as pick for U.S. Trade Representative

Michael Froman ’85 will be nominated as the next U.S. Trade Representative, President Obama announced in a press conference on Thursday.

Froman’s selection, along with the nomination of Commerce-secretary-to-be Penny Prtizker, will complete Obama’s second-term cabinet, according to CNN.

The president called Froman “one of the world’s foremost experts on our global economy,” also acknowledging the personal ties the two shared, according to the Washington Post. Froman and Obama first met at Harvard Law School, which Froman attended after receiving an A.B. from the Wilson School and a Ph.D. in international relations from Oxford University. Froman later advised Obama during his Senate campaign, and was appointed a deputy assistant to the President and a deputy national security adviser in 2009.

Froman has also held a number of positions within the U.S. Department of the Treasury, serving as Chief of Staff and as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Eurasia under Secretary Robert E. Rubin between 1997 and 1999.

More recently, Froman was a managing director at Citigroup, and also served as President and Chief Executive Officer of CitiInsurance, CBS News reported.

Obama cited Froman’s experience within both the public and private sectors as an indispensable asset, praising his skill as a shrewd negotiator.

“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,” Obama told The Washington Post. “He does not rest until he’s delivered the best possible deal for American businesses and American workers.”

If his nomination is confirmed by the Senate, Froman’s abilities will quickly be put to the test. He joins Obama’s cabinet during the negotiations of the so-called Trans-Pacific Partnership, a trade agreement between 12 countries in the Asia-Pacific region. The next round of talks is slated to begin on May 15 in Lima, Peru.

Preliminary preparations have also begun for an even-larger proposal, the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, which would unite the United States and 27 nations of the European Union under a free-trade deal.

Froman previously took an active role in finalizing free trade agreements with Colombia, Panama and South Korea under his former advisory role during Obama’s first term, Politico reported.

As the 17th U.S. Trade Representative, Froman will succeed Ron Kirk, who announced in January his intention to step down from his post.