Brian Deese: What to know about Biden's National Economic Council director
The Massachusetts native held several posts in the Obama administration
President Biden last month named Brian Deese as the director of the National Economic Council, making him the White House’s top economic adviser, replacing seasoned economist Larry Kudlow.
Deese, 42, is one of the youngest people to hold the post, and one of the first to champion climate policy.
FOX Business takes a look at Deese and his political priorities, as well as his Wall Street background.
Stimulus Advocate
While it's early days for the Biden administration, Deese is already laser-focused on pushing the $1.9 billion stimulus package through Congress. Last week, during his first White House briefing, he said he would be working the phones on behalf of the president to get members of the GOP on board.
During an interview with Fox News' Chris Wallace earlier this month, Deese said we have "an acute economic crisis and human crisis" underway as he prepared to take on his new role.
Time at BlackRock
Previously, Deese held the post of global head of sustainable investing at BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager with $8.7 trillion in assets. In his role, he led a team that identified opportunities while "integrating them throughout BlackRock's investment processes, and creating solutions for our clients to achieve sustainable investment return" according to the firm's bio.
BlackRock CEO Larry Fink, a Democrat, is among a small handful of Wall Street leaders that share respected opinions on national and political issues. He was once rumored to be under consideration for U.S. Treasury Secretary had Hillary Clinton beaten Donald Trump in 2016.
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BLK | BLACKROCK INC. | 1,020.11 | -2.69 | -0.26% |
Obama Confidante
He is no stranger to politicals or presidents. Prior to BlackRock, he served as a senior adviser to former President Barack Obama, helping engineer the financial-crisis era bailout of the U.S. auto industry and the country’s entry into the Paris Climate Agreement.
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GM | GENERAL MOTORS CO. | 55.59 | +0.09 | +0.16% |
The auto industry's bailout, of which General Motors and Chrysler received financial rescues, came together under President George W. Bush and was executed by Obama.
Earlier in the Obama administration, Deese served as deputy director of the National Economic Council and as deputy director of the Office of Budget and Management.
Education
Deese holds a law degree from Yale Law School and a B.A. from Middlebury College in political science.