The White House stated on Wednesday, 4 May, that United States (US) President Joe Biden has announced that he will appoint Indian-American Richard Verma as a member of his Intelligence Advisory Board.
"He [Verma] previously served as the US Ambassador to India, where he led one of the largest US diplomatic missions and championed historic progress in bilateral ties," a statement said.
The President's Intelligence Advisory Board is an independent body within the Executive Office.
Verma, who is presently the general counsel and head of Global Public Policy for Mastercard, has a doctorate from Georgetown University and a law degree from American University.
For Mastercard, he oversees the law and policy in the US and around the world.
Verma began his career in the US Air Force as an Air Force judge advocate, serving on duty from 1994 to 1998.
Between 2015 to 2017, he was the US Ambassador to India. He stepped down after the inauguration of President Donald Trump.
Verma has received numerous awards and honours for his service, including the State Department's Distinguished Service Medal, the Council on Foreign Relations International Affairs Fellowship, and the Chief Justice John Marshall Lifetime Service Award.
He was also listed by the magazine, India Abroad, as one of the 50 most influential Indian Americans in the US.
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