WASHINGTON: Former US Ambassador to India Richard Verma has been sworn in as the Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources, making him the highest-ranking Indian-American ever in the State Department.
"An honour to return to the State Department," Verma said in a tweet after he was sworn into the top position in the State Department Wednesday.
The Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources is often referred to as the Chief Operating Officer of the State Department.
A lawyer, diplomat and executive, Verma, 54, was confirmed by the US Senate by a vote of 67-26 last month.
Verma, who served as the US Ambassador to India from January 16, 2015, to January 20, 2017, was till now the Chief Legal Officer and Head of Global Public Policy at Mastercard.
During the Obama administration, Verma also served as Assistant Secretary of State for Legislative Affairs. Earlier in his career, he was National Security Advisor to US Senator Harry Reid while he was Democratic whip, Minority Leader and then-Majority Leader of the United States Senate.
He has served as Vice Chairman of The Asia Group, Partner and Senior Counselor at Steptoe & Johnson LLP, and Senior Counselor at the Albright Stonebridge Group.
He is a veteran of the United States Air Force, where he served on active duty as a Judge Advocate.
Verma, who was born in 1968 to an Indian immigrant, grew up in Pennsylvania. He attended a private college on a US Air Force scholarship. He earned a B S at Lehigh University, a J.D. cum laude at American University, an LLM with distinction at Georgetown University Law Center, and a PhD at Georgetown University.
He is the recipient of numerous awards and decorations, including the Distinguished Service Medal from the Department of State, the International Affairs Fellowship from the Council on Foreign Relations and the Meritorious Service Medal from the United States Air Force.
Verma was appointed to the President's Intelligence Advisory Board and is a former member of the Weapons of Mass Destruction and Terrorism Commission.
He serves as a trustee of The Ford Foundation and is on numerous other boards, including that of the National Endowment for Democracy and Lehigh University.
He is a veteran of the United States Air Force, where he served as a Judge Advocate.