Washington, Oct 24 (IANS) President Barack Obama has
nominated Indian-American investment banker and philanthropist Azita
Raji to the coveted diplomatic post of US ambassador to Sweden.
Raji,
a top bundler for Obama who raised more than $3 million for his 2012
re-election campaign, was earlier appointed to the president's
Commission on White House Fellowship last year.
She is the second Indian-American to be nominated to a top diplomatic post.
Ahead
of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the US, Obama had nominated
Richard Rahul Verma, a key aide to former secretary of state Hillary
Clinton, as the new ambassador to India.
Raji joins a growing
number of Indian-Americans in the Obama administration, which at over 30
boasts of more people of Indian origin than any previous
administration.
While Verma became the first Indian American to
be named to the New Delhi post, Nisha Desai Biswal, hailing from Modi's
home state of Gujarat, became the first Indian American to head the
South Asia bureau last November.
Both Raji and Verma would need Senate confirmation before they take up their assignments.
Raji previously worked as a vice president of JP Morgan, where she focused on fixed-income investments.
"These
fine public servants bring a depth of experience and tremendous
dedication to their important roles. I look forward to working with them
in the months and years to come," Obama said in a White House statement
announcing Raji's nomination with several other key posts.
California-based
Raji is engaged in various leadership roles with several civic and
non-profit institutions in New York and the District of Columbia.
She has also served as a commissioner of the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery.
Since
2013, Raji has served as a director of the National Partnership for
Women and Families, a member of the Bretton Woods Committee, and an
advisory board member of the Economic Advisory Council at the Centre for
American Progress.
In addition, she has been an advisory board
member of the Columbia Business School Social Enterprise Programme since
2011, and a trustee and executive committee member of Barnard College
at Columbia University since 2010.
Raji was also a founding
co-chair and advisory board member of Athena Centre for Leadership
Studies at Barnard College from 2009 to 2013.
A member of the
Institute for Chartered Financial Analysts since 1991, she held senior
positions at several firms, including JP Morgan Securities.
She
was national finance vice-chair for Obama for America in 2012. Raji
received a BA from Barnard College, Columbia University and an MBA from
Columbia Business School.