Former U.S. Ambassador to India Richard R. Verma Appointed to President’s Intelligence Advisory Board
- Currently General Counsel and Head of Global Public Policy for Mastercard, the Indian American, he led one of the largest U.S. diplomatic missions and championed historic progress in bilateral ties.
President Biden has appointed former U.S. Ambassador to India Richard R. Verma to the President’s Intelligence Advisory Board. The board assists the president by providing him with an independent source of advice on the effectiveness with which the Intelligence Community is meeting the nation’s intelligence needs and the vigor and insight with which the community plans for the future, according to a White House press release.
As the U.S. Ambassador to India, he led one of the largest U.S. diplomatic missions and championed historic progress in bilateral ties, the White House said.
Verma, 53, currently serves as the General Counsel and Head of Global Public Policy for Mastercard. In this role, he oversees the company’s law and policy functions in the U.S. and around the world.
Verma has also worked as a former Assistant Secretary of State and the former National Security Advisor to the Senate Majority Leader. He was also a member of the Weapons of Mass Destruction and Terrorism Commission led by former Senators Graham and Talent and a co-author of their landmark report “World at Risk.”
In the private sector, he was a partner at Steptoe & Johnson for many years and is the former Vice Chairman of The Asia Group, a leading global consulting firm.
A veteran of the U.S. Air Force, Verma has received several military awards and civilian decorations, including the Meritorious Service Medal and the State Department’s Distinguished Service Award. He was a member of the WMD and Terrorism Commission, and he currently serves on a number of boards including the Ford Foundation, Lehigh University and the National Endowment for Democracy.
Verma is a Senior Fellow at Harvard University’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, and he holds multiple academic degrees, including his doctorate (Ph.D.) from Georgetown University and his law degree (J.D.) from American University.