Liddell promoted

The Herald reports:

New Zealand businessman Chris Liddell has been promoted to a top role in US President Donald Trump’s White House.

The former Carter Holt Harvey chief executive has been named White House deputy chief of staff.

White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said Liddell had extensive experience managing large organisations and had already overseen a number of interagency processes in the White House.

“In his new role, Chris will manage the policy process as we continue to enact the president’s agenda.”

Liddell, 59-year-old, has worked on projects like information technology modernisation and electronic health records, which have required intensive coordination with government agencies, White House officials have said.

Liddell joined the administration in January last year and serves as the White House’s director of strategic initiatives.

Deputy Chief of Staff is incredibly senior (and his last role was very senior also). While Liddell is now a US citizen, he spent most of his life in NZ and remains very interested and involved in NZ. I can’t recall any foreign born person having such a senior role in The White House, let alone a New Zealander.