Chris Liddell

Christopher Pell Liddell CNZM (born 24 April 1958) is a New Zealand-American businessperson who served as Chief Financial Officer of Microsoft,[3][4] the Vice Chairman of General Motors,[3][4] Senior Vice President and CFO of International Paper, Director and Chairman of Xero[5] and the White House Deputy Chief of Staff in the Trump Administration.

Chris Liddell
White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Coordination
In office
19 March 2018  20 January 2021
PresidentDonald Trump
Preceded byRick Dearborn (Policy)
Succeeded byJen O'Malley Dillon, Bruce Reed
Personal details
Born
Christopher Pell Liddell

(1958-04-24) 24 April 1958
Matamata, New Zealand
CitizenshipUnited States[1]
New Zealand[2]
Political partyRepublican
EducationUniversity of Auckland (BE)
Worcester College, Oxford (MPhil)

Liddell has been active in a number of philanthropic projects, mostly in his native New Zealand and in the 2016 New Year Honours, he was appointed a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to business and philanthropy.[6][7]

Early life

Liddell was born in Matamata, New Zealand, the youngest of five siblings. His father was a school teacher and died while Liddell was young. His mother supported Liddell and his siblings by working a variety of jobs, including at Smith & Caughey's in Auckland.[4] Liddell received his secondary education at Mount Albert Grammar School.[4]

He holds a Bachelor of Engineering degree with honors from the University of Auckland and a Master of Philosophy degree from Worcester College, Oxford University. He was named one of Auckland University's Distinguished Alumni in 2003.[8]

Career

Corporate

In 1983, Liddell took up a position at investment bank Jarden & Co which would morph into Credit Suisse Boston's operation in New Zealand and finally Jarden today. He rose to the role of joint-CEO and managing director of CS First Boston NZ.[3]

In 1995, he joined Carter Holt Harvey as chief financial officer. Four years later he was chief executive officer - the first New Zealander to be appointed by majority shareholder International Paper, which had previously sent Americans David Oskin and John Faraci down to head the company.[9][10] When Liddell left Carter Holt Harvey, the company was New Zealand's largest forest owner managing around 330,000 hectares and the country's second largest listed company by market capitalization, with sales of NZ$3.75 billion.[11]

From 2003, Liddell served as CFO of Carter Holt Harvey's parent company International Paper until 2005.[12] During his tenure, Liddell was credited with building a world-class finance function that redesigned and substantially improved the company’s business resource allocation and internal control processes; was actively involved in the company’s cost-reduction initiatives; and drove and managed business strategy, including several important M&A transactions.[13] "Chris has played a pivotal role as the chief executive officer of Carter Holt Harvey, and more recently, as the chief financial officer of International Paper. We will very much miss having Chris on our leadership team", stated then CEO John V. Faraci in an announcement.[14]

Liddell was a senior vice president and CFO of Microsoft, where, from 2005 to December 2009,[15][16] he was responsible for leading their worldwide finance organization.[17] "Chris brings great talent and skills both in finance and in business leadership," said Steve Ballmer, then chief executive officer at Microsoft. "Having been both CEO and CFO of international companies gives him the ability to contribute broadly to our finance, operations and business strategy."[13]

In 2010, he was named the New Zealand Business Leader of the Year by the New Zealand Herald.[18]

Liddell served as Vice Chairman and Chief Financial Officer at General Motors, where he managed the company’s $23 billion IPO in November 2010, which, at that time, which was the largest public offering in history.[19][20][21] "Chris was a major contributor during a pivotal time in the company’s history," said Daniel Akerson, GM chairman and CEO. "He guided the company’s IPO process and established a good financial foundation for the future."[22]

In 2014, Xero, the cloud-based accounting software developer appointed Liddell as its new chairman. Liddell resigned from the New Zealand-based company to take on a new role in United States president-elect Donald Trump's administration. In an announcement to the New Zealand stock exchange, Xero chief executive and founder Rod Drury congratulated Liddell on his new role and thanked him for his contribution to the company over the past three years. Drury said Liddell’s contribution had seen the New Zealand-founded company’s annualized committed monthly revenue (ACMR) triple from NZ$93 million (A$88 million) in March 2014 to NZ$303 (A$287 million) million in September 2016."Chris leaves us in a good position with strong global revenue growth, our subscription revenues growing faster than our costs and a goal to achieve cash break-even with cash on hand. We wish him all the best in his exciting new role," Drury added.[23]

From 2014 to 2016, he worked as the CFO of Endeavor, a privately held company in the media, sports and entertainment industry.[24]

Government

In 2012, Liddell was executive director of transition planning for the Romney Presidential Campaign.[25]

In January 2017 he was appointed as Assistant to the President for Strategic Initiatives in Donald Trump's White House,[26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33] He was appointed to the Office of American Innovation (OAI) when it was established on 27 March 2017, where he was focusing on federal IT modernization. He opted to receive the minimum salary required to get health insurance, $30,000.[34] He was also appointed Director of the American Technology Council [35] and was a member of the White House Coronavirus Task Force.[36] In March 2018 he was picked to replace Rick Dearborn as White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy.[1] In his White House roles he has coordinated administration policy around a number of technology issues, in particular relating to cyber security, and to the Industries of the Future, which include Artificial Intelligence, 5G, Advanced Manufacturing, Quantum Computing and Synthetic Biology.[37]

In May 2018 Chris Liddell was alleged to have participated in an informal vote regarding the separation of children of illegal immigrants from their parents[38] The vote took place in the White House Situation Room when Stephen Miller asked for a show of hands. An estimated 2,800 children were separated from their parents. Liddell was White House deputy chief of staff at the time of the vote. Liddell refuted this in an interview with TVNZ's Q & A, stating that this informal vote did not happen, and that if it did, he would not have voted in favour of it.[39]

He served as the White House lead for the Trillion Trees Initiative, part of the Trillion Tree Campaign, which aims to conserve, restore, and grow a trillion trees around the world by 2030. President Trump signed an Executive Order "Establishing the One Trillion Trees Interagency Council" in October 2020.[40] Liddell oversaw the Administration's contribution, and represented the White House during its engagements with 1t.org and the 1t.org Stakeholder Council.[41][42]

In October 2020 he was nominated by Donald Trump to be the next Secretary-General of the OECD. It was unclear if Joe Biden would have supported his nomination progressing.[43][44][45] New Zealand's government did not make a decision to support the nomination. The left-wing Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand said he should be rejected as his work for Trump had eroded multilateral approaches in the Paris Agreement and the World Health Organization. The right-wing New Zealand National Party said it would be in New Zealand's interest to have a "boy from Matamata" in the role, but later reversed their support for Liddell.[46][47][48]

In 2021 Liddell hired a public relations company for damage control of his reputation in New Zealand. A former New Zealand Labour Party senior advisor said "He's disgraced himself and his country, and he should be a social pariah for his choices. ... when you're putting children in cages, systematically lying to overturn legitimate election results, inciting people to storm the Capitol building - you've got to take responsibility. If he was the good guy, trying to stop it going off the rails, he must be very bad at his job - because it's gone entirely off the rails and he was at the centre of it."[49][46][50]

Liddell reportedly considered resigning after the storming of the Capitol, but announced he would stay on to ensure a smooth transition to President elect Joe Biden. Liddell had a key role in the transition. The director of the nonpartisan Center for Presidential Transition David Marchick said that "He has kept order, increased systems and done heroic work in an impossible environment. Chris Liddell has been extremely helpful to the Biden team."[51][52] Liddell stated that he "was horrified, like everyone else, by the events yesterday."[52]

Prior to the 2021 inauguration Liddell called for legislation that “allows a provisional ascertainment to occur so that an incoming administration [and] the president-elect can get security briefings for a lot of the time-sensitive issues regardless of whether the formal election has been settled or not.”[53]

On 20 January 2021, the OECD confirmed that Liddell had withdrawn his nomination to serve as the Secretary-General of the OECD.[54][55]

Affiliations

In 2001, Liddell was on the conference committee for the Catching the Knowledge Wave project, one of the biggest meeting of minds to take place in New Zealand history. The conference hosted about 450 academics, officials, politicians, economists and business leaders who discussed ways of lifting New Zealand’s economic performance. Led by the New Zealand Prime Minister and the Vice Chancellor of the University of Auckland, it was a catalyst for the realization that New Zealand could no longer remain primarily a producer of agricultural commodities but instead transform itself to a high-value, knowledge-based economy.[56][57]

Liddell is founding chairman of the Next Foundation,[58] a $72 million dollar foundation in New Zealand focused on environmental and education projects.[59][60] Next has funded projects such as Project Taranaki Mounga,[61] a ten-year project to control pests and re-introduce nature birds in the 34,000 ha of Egmont National Park, and Predator Free Wellington City, a partnership to make Wellington the first predator free capital in the world. Liddell was a signatory to the Tomorrow Accord, an agreement between the New Zealand government and NEXT to focus on large scale ecological restoration projects, and commit to maintaining their ecological benefits in perpetuity.[62]

Liddell has served as director of the New Zealand Rugby Union.[63] He spearheaded and funded a campaign to assemble and publicly display the most important All Black jerseys in the team's 120-year history.[64]

In 2017, Chris and his brother John Liddell donated $1 million to Mount Albert Grammar primarily to fund teacher and pupil scholarships.[65] Later that year, Liddell donated $450,000 to Auckland University to fund a postgraduate scholarship to Worcester College, Oxford.[66]

He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.[67]

References

  1. Restuccia, Andrew; Johnson, Eliana (19 March 2018). "Kelly taps Kushner ally Chris Liddell as deputy chief for policy". Politico.
  2. "Chris Liddell, Trump's NZ-born deputy chief of staff, considering resigning — report". TVNZ. 8 January 2021. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
  3. Lublin, John D. Stoll And Joann S. (22 December 2009). "GM Taps Microsoft's Finance Chief". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 17 January 2017.
  4. Read, Ellen (23 January 2017). "Trump's Kiwi man of mystery Donald Trump's assistant Chris Liddell 'driven and very smart'". The Press. p. A9. Retrieved 23 January 2017.
  5. "Chris Liddell resigns as Xero chairman after Donald Trump administration appointment". www.stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
  6. "New Year Honours 2016 - Citations for Companions of the New Zealand Order of Merit". www.dpmc.govt.nz. Retrieved 17 January 2017.
  7. "New Year Honours: Chris Liddell - A proud Kiwi made good". www.nzherald.co.nz. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
  8. "Past winners - The University of Auckland". www.auckland.ac.nz. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
  9. "Chris Liddell: innovative man is an impatient competitor". nzherald.co.nz. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
  10. "New CEO to lead Carter Holt Harvey". www.scoop.co.nz. Retrieved 17 January 2017.
  11. "N.Z. lumber company posts strong profit". edition.cnn.com. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
  12. Paper, International. "International Paper Promotes Chris Liddell to Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer". www.prnewswire.com. Retrieved 17 January 2017.
  13. "Microsoft Names Chris Liddell as New Chief Financial Officer". news.microsoft.com. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
  14. "International Paper Announces Resignation of CFO Chris Liddell". internationalpaper.com. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
  15. "Microsoft Names Chris Liddell as New Chief Financial Officer". www.news.microsoft.com. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
  16. "Microsoft CFO Liddell to leave the company". www. marketwatch.com. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
  17. "Chris Liddell Named GM Vice Chairman and CFO". www.media.gm.com. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
  18. Dann, Liam (11 December 2010). "Business Leader of the Year 2010: Chris Liddell". New Zealand Herald. ISSN 1170-0777. Retrieved 17 January 2017.
  19. "GM IPO Biggest Ever". www.money.cnn.com. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
  20. "GM Announces CFO Transition". www.media.gm.com. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
  21. "GM Chief Financial Officer Chris Liddell resigns". www.seattletimes.com. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
  22. "GM to Promote Ammann to CFO as Liddell Steps Down". www.wsj.com. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
  23. "Xero chairman Chris Liddell leaves to support Trump, replaced by ex-Salesforce CFO Graham Smith". www.crn.com.au. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
  24. Littleton, Cynthia (30 July 2014). "WME/IMG Names Corporate Vet CFO as Agency Faces Post-Merger Scrutiny". Variety. Retrieved 17 January 2017.
  25. "NZ's Chris Liddell reveals extent of Romney role - and refuses to join doom merchants". The National Business Review. 11 November 2012. Retrieved 17 January 2017.
  26. "Kiwi businessman Chris Liddell appointed as one of Donald Trump's assistants". New Zealand Herald. 18 January 2017. ISSN 1170-0777. Retrieved 17 January 2017.
  27. O'Sullivan, Fran. "Kiwi businessman Chris Liddell appointed as Donald Trump's assistant". Newstalk ZB. Retrieved 17 January 2017.
  28. "Kiwi businessman Chris Liddell named as assistant to Donald Trump". Stuff. Retrieved 17 January 2017.
  29. "From Matamata to the White House: Kiwi man appointed senior aide to Donald Trump". 1 NEWS NOW. Retrieved 17 January 2017.
  30. Balakrishnan, Anita (17 January 2017). "Former Microsoft CFO joins Trump administration". CNBC. Retrieved 17 January 2017.
  31. "Kiwi named in Trump's team". Radio New Zealand. 18 January 2017. Retrieved 17 January 2017.
  32. "New Year's honour for former Microsoft and GM executive Christopher Liddell". Stuff. Retrieved 17 January 2017.
  33. Bindrim, Kira (1 July 2017). "All of Donald Trump's White House staffers, ranked by salary". Quartz. Retrieved 25 November 2017.
  34. Scola, Nancy (1 July 2017). "What Jared's office actually does". Politico. Retrieved 26 November 2017.
  35. "Establishment of the American Technology Council". Federal Register. 3 May 2017. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
  36. "White House Coronavirus Task Force", Wikipedia, 6 July 2020, retrieved 7 July 2020
  37. "Tech executives convene at White House on AI, other 'industries of the future'". www.fedscoop.com. Retrieved 4 February 2021.
  38. Justine Coleman (20 August 2020). "White House officials voted by show of hands on 2018 family separations: report". The Hill.
  39. "Chris Liddell". Q+A. 15 November 2020.
  40. "President Trump Signs One Trillion Trees Executive Order, Promoting Conservation and Regeneration of Our Nation's Forests". whitehouse.gov. 16 October 2020. Retrieved 15 November 2020 via National Archives.
  41. Allen, Mike. "Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump to lead White House's "1 Trillion Trees" initiative". Axios. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
  42. "Trump signs order backing 1 Trillion Trees effort". www.washingtonexaminer.com. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
  43. "President Donald J. Trump Announces Intent to Nominate Christopher Liddell for Secretary General of OECD". whitehouse.gov. Retrieved 14 October 2020 via National Archives.
  44. "Will NZ back Chris Liddell for OECDs top job?". Stuff. 27 October 2020.
  45. "Why a 'horrified' Chris Liddell won't quit". Newsroom. 8 January 2021. Retrieved 10 January 2021.
  46. Milne, Jonathan (10 January 2021). "Trump's official tries to avoid burning NZ bridges". Newsroom. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
  47. "National backs Kiwi Trump staffer Chris Liddell for top OECD post, Green Party urges rejection". Stuff. 27 October 2020. Retrieved 10 January 2021.
  48. "National backtracks on support for Trump's NZ staffer Chris Liddell". Radio New Zealand. 13 January 2021. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
  49. Andelane, Lana (11 January 2021). "Donald Trump's Kiwi 'right-hand' man Chris Liddell apparently working to salvage reputation in New Zealand". Newshub. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
  50. "Chris Liddell a 'Trump enabler', will 'struggle to settle back in NZ'". Newstalk ZB. 12 January 2021. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
  51. O'Sullivan, Frank (8 January 2021). "US riots: NZ Trump aide Chris Liddell staying on to 'lead successful transition'". The New Zealand Herald. Archived from the original on 8 January 2021. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  52. Milne, Jonathan (8 January 2021). "Liddell stays to manage presidential transition: 'I was horrified by the events yesterday'". Newsroom. Archived from the original on 8 January 2021. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  53. "Rocky Presidential Transition Prompts Calls for Changes in the Law". Government Executive. Retrieved 26 February 2021.
  54. Hunt, Elle (20 January 2021). "New Zealand Trump aide Chris Liddell pulls out of race to lead OECD". The Guardian. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
  55. "OECD confirms New Zealand-born Trump confidant Chris Liddell has bowed out of race for top job". 1 News. 21 January 2021. Archived from the original on 21 January 2021. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
  56. "2001 – Knowledge Wave conference". www.auckland.ac.nz. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
  57. "Committee Represents Broad Cross Section Of NZ". www.scoop.co.nz. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
  58. "About Us". www.nextfoundation.org.nz. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
  59. "$100m 'Next Foundation' launched". New Zealand Herald. 14 March 2014. Retrieved 26 September 2021.
  60. "XE Currency Table: NZD - New Zealand Dollar". www.xe.com.
  61. "Project Taranaki Mounga NEXT big project". doc.govt.nz. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
  62. "Minister of Conservation and NEXT Foundation sign Tomorrow Accord". www.nextfoundation.org.nz. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
  63. "New Year Honours: Chris Liddell - A proud Kiwi made good". New Zealand Herald. 31 December 2015. ISSN 1170-0777. Retrieved 17 January 2017.
  64. "Kiwi achiever Chris Liddell proves trump card in the great All Blacks jersey quest". Stuff. 27 July 2019. Retrieved 20 July 2020.
  65. "His father left them penniless; Chris Liddell tells of his path to White House power". Stuff.
  66. ophelia.buckleton@nzherald.co.nz @OBuckleton, Ophelia Buckleton Reporter, NZ Herald (24 November 2017). "Trump's Kiwi adviser Chris Liddell donates $450,000 to Auckland University" via www.nzherald.co.nz.
  67. "Membership Roster - Council on Foreign Relations". Council on Foreign Relations. Archived from the original on 11 January 2017. Retrieved 17 January 2017.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.