Alumni and Friends Directory

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Biography

Jon Meade Huntsman Jr. (born March 26, 1960) is an American businessman, diplomat, politician, and the former Ambassador of the United States to Russia, serving from October 2017 to October 3, 2019. Huntsman was the U.S. Ambassador to Singapore from 1992 to 1993, the 16th Governor of Utah from 2005 to 2009 and the U.S. Ambassador to China from 2009 until 2011. He has served in the administrations of five Presidents and was a candidate for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination. On August 6, 2019, Huntsman submitted his resignation letter to President Donald Trump as Ambassador of the United States to Russia, effective October 3, 2019.

In January 2014, Huntsman was named Chair of the Washington-based foreign policy think-tank the Atlantic Council. Huntsman has served in every presidential administration since the presidency of Ronald Reagan. He began his career as a White House staff assistant for Ronald Reagan, and was appointed Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce and United States Ambassador to Singapore by George H. W. Bush. Later as Deputy U.S. Trade Representative under George W. Bush, he launched global trade negotiations in Doha in 2001 and guided the accession of China into the World Trade Organization. He also served as CEO of his family-owned Huntsman Corporation and chair of the Huntsman Cancer Foundation. In 2009, he was appointed United States Ambassador to China by Barack Obama.

While Governor of Utah, Huntsman was named Chair of the Western Governors Association and joined the Executive Committee of the National Governors Association. Under his leadership, Utah was named the best-managed state in America by the Pew Center on the States. During his tenure, Huntsman was one of the most popular governors in the country, and won reelection in a landslide in 2008, winning every single county. He left office with approval ratings over 80 percent and was succeeded by Lieutenant Governor Gary Herbert.