Harvard Kennedy School's Belfer Center Senior Fellow Richard Verma Nominated as U.S. Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources 

The White House has announced President Biden's nomination of Ambassador Richard Verma as Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources at the U.S. Department of State. 
 
Ambassador Verma is a Senior Fellow with Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs and an active member of the Harvard Kennedy School community. A former Ambassador to India, he mentors students interested in pursuing careers in diplomacy and leads discussions on the critical U.S.-India bilateral relationship. 
 
"Rich exemplifies the dedication to public service that we hope to instill in our students," said Belfer Center Co-Director Eric Rosenbach. "He has had an extraordinary career, and we are thrilled about his nomination to the State Department." 
 
Ambassador Verma is currently the General Counsel and Head of Global Public Policy for Mastercard and has been a Senior Fellow at the Belfer Center since 2018. He served as the U.S. Ambassador to India from 2015-2017 and previously served as Assistant Secretary of State for Legislative Affairs. A veteran of the U.S. Air Force, he received both the Meritorious Service Medal - presented to members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves by outstanding meritorious achievement or service - and the State Department's Distinguished Service Award.
 
Following Senate confirmation, Ambassador Verma will act as Chief Operating Officer of the State Department. He will also advise U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on the Department's resource allocation and management activities, including foreign assistance programs. At the State Department, Verna will join Belfer Center alumna and former Harvard Kennedy School professor Wendy Sherman, who is the U.S. Deputy Secretary of State.