President Barack Obama Succeeded by Mark Brzezinski Political party Democratic Party Preceded by Michael Wood Role Executive | President Barack Obama Name Matthew Barzun Preceded by Louis Susman Alma mater Harvard University | |
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Full Name Matthew Winthrop Barzun Born October 23, 1970 (age 53)
New York City, New York, U.S. ( 1970-10-23 ) Spouse Brooke Brown Barzun (m. 1999) Siblings Lucy Barzun Donnelly, Charles Barzun, Mariana Mensch Children Eleanor Barzun, Jacques Barzun II, Charles Barzun Education Harvard College, St. Paul's School, Harvard University Similar People Brooke Brown Barzun, Lucy Barzun Donnelly, Barack Obama, Jacques Barzun, Louis Susman Profiles | ||
4th e of engagement matthew barzun at tedxuofl
Matthew Winthrop Barzun (born October 23, 1970) is a former United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom. He is a business executive who is known for his work with CNET Networks and for his volunteer work on Barack Obama's 2008 presidential campaign. He served as U.S. Ambassador to Sweden from 2009 to 2011. He was selected by President Barack Obama as National Finance Chair for the president's 2012 re-election campaign.
Contents
- 4th e of engagement matthew barzun at tedxuofl
- Matthew Barzun Compassion in World Affairs 2017 Festival of Faiths
- Education
- 2008 Obama campaign
- Diplomacy
- Personal life
- Board memberships
- References
Matthew Barzun | Compassion in World Affairs | 2017 Festival of Faiths
Education
Barzun was born in New York City. He grew up in Lincoln, Massachusetts, and received his A.B. in history and literature magna cum laude from Harvard College in 1993. In his testimony to the Senate during his confirmation vetting, Barzun noted that he had served as a summer intern to Massachusetts Senator John Kerry in 1989. Prior to attending university, he was a student at St. Paul's School, Concord, New Hampshire. After graduating from Harvard College, he began working with CNET Networks.
2008 Obama campaign
Barzun's small-dollar fundraisers were supporter-driven via online event pages, and replicated throughout the country.
In The Audacity to Win, author and political strategist David Plouffe describes Matthew Barzun's grassroots campaign idea as "citizen fundraisers" that drove Obama's connection with supporters.
Diplomacy
The Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, chaired by Senator John Kerry, approved Barzun's nomination as Ambassador to Sweden during the week of August 3, 2009, and the nomination was confirmed on August 7. Barzun was sworn in as U.S. Ambassador to the Kingdom of Sweden on August 12, 2009, and presented his credentials to King Carl XVI Gustaf on August 21, 2009. Barzun prioritized outreach and personal engagement, launching the U.S. Embassy Road Show that brings embassy personnel, resources, and exhibits out of Stockholm to smaller cities and towns. In partnership with the Swedish government, he also created the Swedish American Green Alliance where Swedes and Americans share news and ideas toward a clean energy future.
President Obama nominated Barzun to be the United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom in 2013. The Senate confirmed him by unanimous consent on August 1, 2013. He presented his credentials to Queen Elizabeth II on November 27, 2013. Barzun set up the Young Leaders UK (YLUK) programme whilst in office, which allowed him to communicate and speak with young people from across the United Kingdom. YLUK met with President Obama during his visit to the UK in 2016. Barzun was selected by the U.S. Department of State as the winner of the 2016 Sue M. Cobb Award for Exemplary Diplomatic Service for "his passion and commitment during his tenure in London by promoting American values and ideals, and his dedication to developing the next generation of career Foreign Service Officers."
In January 2017, Barzun announced that he was to leave as Ambassador before Donald Trump took office. Barzun left the UK on 18 January 2017, moving back to Kentucky. The then Deputy Chief of Mission, Lewis Lukens, then succeeded Barzun as Chargé d'affaires pending the appointment of a new ambassador. Upon his return to the United States, he received the Marshall Medal from the Marshall Aid Commemoration Commission created by the British Parliament for his dedication to strengthening U.S. and British relations.
Personal life
Matthew Barzun is a descendant of Lucretia Mott, a proponent of women's rights, and John Winthrop, founder of the Massachusetts Bay Colony and the city of Boston. His grandfather was the renowned French-born American cultural historian and former Columbia University professor, Jacques Barzun. He is the second of four children. His younger sister is film producer Lucy Barzun Donnelly, Emmy and Golden Globe winner for her work producing Grey Gardens for HBO.
His younger brother, Charles Barzun, is a tenured professor of law at the University of Virginia. His eldest sister, Mariana Mensch, is director of parent giving and assistant campaign director at Vassar College. He has stated that his favourite band is The National, and that he has a dislike for the traditional British meal of lamb and potatoes, which was served to him 180 times in his first year as ambassador to the United Kingdom.
Barzun is married (since 1999) to Brooke Brown Barzun, heiress of the Brown-Forman Corporation distilling empire, which includes the brands Jack Daniel's and Woodford Reserve. They live in Louisville, Kentucky, Brooke's hometown. They have three children.