Biden Picks Former HP CEO Meg Whitman as US Ambassador to Kenya

President Biden has nominated Margaret Whitman as the US ambassador to Kenya.

If her nomination is approved by the Senate, the former Hewlett-Packard CEO will take over from Eric Kneedler, who became chargé d´affaires ad interim for Kenya in January.

Kneedler was appointed to the position following the exit of Kyle McCarter, who served as the US ambassador to Kenya from 2019 to 2021. 

Whitman, a billionaire former Republican, was a key financier of Biden’s 2020 presidential campaign.

“Kenya is a strategic partner of the United States, and if confirmed, I look forward to working with the Kenyan government on a wide variety of issues to advance peace, prosperity and health in the country and throughout the region,” Whitman said in a statement released by the White House on Wednesday.

Whitman, commonly known by her nickname “Meg”, served as the CEO of Hewlett-Packard and then Hewlett Packard Enterprise from 2011 to 2017. 

The 65-year-old currently serves on the board of Procter & Gamble and General Motors. She is worth an estimated 4.5 billion USD, according to Forbes.