Deese was Obama's deputy director of the NEC. Comes from Blackrock where he was global head of sustainable investing
Pres. elect Biden will tap BlackRock's Deese to lead the National Economic Council. The the announcement was not officially made today but is expected to take place later this week according to sources.
Deese, who comes from BlackRock where he was global head of sustainable investing, worked his way up to Pres. Obama's deputy director of the NEC prior to joining BlackRock. During his tenure in the Obama administration, he focused in part on climate change and energy issues, playing a central role in negotiating the international climate change agreement that was reached in Paris in 2015. Pres. Trump withdrew the US from the Paris agreement.
The appointment does not require Congressional approval.
In other appointments today, Biden named Neera Tanden head of the Center for American Progress and chose Cecilia Rouse, a Princeton University labor economists, to be chairwoman of the Council of Economic Advisors (CEA). She would be the 1st woman of color to chair the CEA.
He has also selected Adewale "Wally" Adeyemo (who also comes from Blackrock), to serve as Treasury Secretary nominee Janet Yellen's top deputy, and announced Jared Bernstein and Heather Boushey to serve as members of the CEA.
