President of the United States Joe Biden has declared his intention to name Shamina Singh, a well-known Indian-American businesswoman, to the President’s Export Council, the main government advisory body on foreign commerce. The President’s Export Council is comprised of a distinguished group of business executives, and Singh, the founder and president of the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth, has stated that she is “honored” to join the council.
The White House claims that President Biden declared his intention to nominate Singh to fill the important position on July 14. Singh said, “I am truly honored to join the esteemed leaders who make up the President’s Export Council.” The main national advising body on overseas commerce is the President’s Export Council.
The Council advises the president on policies and initiatives of the government that have an impact on the performance of US trade, encourages export growth, and offers a venue for discussion and resolution of issues relating to trade amongst the commercial, industrial, agricultural, labor, and governmental sectors. She was cited as stating in the announcement on Mastercard’s website, “I’ve gravitated toward work that helps create long-lasting and inclusive prosperity for people and economies in the US and around the world.”
Singh is a member of the management committee of Mastercard and acts as the company’s executive vice president for sustainability. She has used her more than 20 years of international expertise to create a special social impact model that makes use of resources from both the public and commercial sectors. The Mastercard Impact Fund was established by Mastercard in 2018 with an initial investment of USD 500 million. Singh was appointed president and given the task of using the donated funds to promote inclusive development and financial inclusion all across the globe.
“Through that work, and especially at Mastercard, I’ve learnt how the public-private sector conversation may open greater doors more broadly than many other techniques. “I have personally experienced the catalytic effect that may come from successful cross-sector relationships. I’m excited to share my viewpoint with the Council, work with the Administration, and have the chance to promote American economic interests across the world, she added.
Singh, who has a strong commitment to serving the public good, has held important roles in the White House and the US House of Representatives. Singh served as the inaugural President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders’ executive director. She was chosen by President Barack Obama and given Senate approval in 2015 to serve a six-year term on the AmeriCorps board. She held the position for two years.
In addition to serving on the advisory boards of the Aspen Institute Civil Society Fellowship and the New York Department of Financial Services Innovation, Singh co-chairs the Ad Council of America’s Advisory Committee on Public Issues. Singh attended the Indian School of Business in addition to Harvard, Yale, and Stanford.
She obtained a Bachelor of Science from Old Dominion University and a Master of Public Affairs from the University of Texas at Austin’s Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs. Both universities gave her the Alumni of Distinction honor. Singh is the most recent member of the Indian-American community to hold a position of leadership in the Biden administration. More than 150 Indian-Americans hold significant jobs, which is a record.
