Jeffrey Zients

White House Profile

Jeffrey Zients

Director of the National Economic Council and Assistant to the President for Economic Policy

Jeff Zients is Director of the National Economic Council and Assistant to the President for Economic Policy. Prior to his appointment, Zients twice served as the acting Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) from January 2012 to April 2013, and from June to October 2010. In 2009, he was confirmed by the Senate as Deputy Director for OMB, and was appointed by President Obama to the newly created position of United States Chief Performance Officer. Zients also managed the 2013 Tech Surge of Healthcare.gov.

Prior to joining the Administration, Zients spent 20 years in the private sector as a CEO, management consultant and entrepreneur. His expertise in business strategy, process reengineering and financial management extends across a range of industries and geographies. Zients served as CEO and Chairman of The Advisory Board Company and Chairman of the Corporate Executive Board, both leading providers of performance benchmarking and best practices across a wide range of industries, assisting senior executives at over 5,000 businesses to improve the efficiency of their operations. Zients began his career in management consulting where he focused on developing strategies and improving operations of Fortune 1000 companies.

Zients has previously served as a board member of institutions including Children’s National Medical Center, Sirius XM Radio, Revolution Health Group, and Timbuk2 Designs.

Zients is a co-founder of The Urban Alliance Foundation, a non-profit organization that partners with corporations to provide economically disadvantaged youth with year-round paid internships, adult mentors and job training. He graduated summa cum laude from Duke University.

Jeffrey Zients's Posts

The Trans-Pacific Partnership and Financial Regulatory Reform

December 19, 2014 at 7:23 PM EST

The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity for America to set the rules for global trade in the 21st century.

READ THE REST
Taking Action to Attract High-Skilled Immigrants, Graduates, and Entrepreneurs

November 25, 2014 at 7:10 PM EST

America needs a 21st century immigration system that lives up to our heritage as a nation of laws and a nation of immigrants – and that grows our economy.

READ THE REST
The President’s BuySecure Initiative: Protecting Americans from Credit Card Fraud and Identity Theft

October 22, 2014 at 10:22 AM EST

President Obama's new Executive Order — the first part of the new BuySecure initiative — takes critical steps to protect consumers’ financial security and improve confidence in the marketplace.

READ THE REST
Building on Partnerships to take on the Challenge of Long-term Unemployment

October 17, 2014 at 4:28 PM EST

On Wednesday, colleagues from across the Administration and I met with chief human resource officers and other executives of nearly 30 companies and community partners to hear about their progress since they joined with the President to take on the challenge of long-term unemployment by committing to a set of best practices around hiring and recruiting.

READ THE REST
It's On Every Single One of Us

September 19, 2014 at 8:00 AM EST

The President announced an initiative to help put an end to campus sexual assault. It's called "It's On Us."

READ THE REST
Growing Our Economy and Strengthening Our Financial System

September 15, 2014 at 5:00 AM EST

Six years after the financial crisis, Jeff Zients, Director of the National Economic Council, reflects on the significant progress that has been made in strengthening the economy and reforming the financial sector.

READ THE REST
Working Together to Support Our Military Families

August 26, 2014 at 1:35 PM EST

Every day, the men and women of our military perform incredible service on behalf of our country. And as the President has made clear, just as our service members have made a commitment to America, we have a commitment to them – to have their backs at home while they serve around the world.

READ THE REST
Boosting Our Global Competitiveness: It’s Time to Invest in America’s Roads, Rails, and Bridges

July 28, 2014 at 1:35 PM EST

When it comes to investing in our infrastructure, the President’s message has been loud and clear: We must upgrade our roads and rails and bridges to grow our economy and create good American jobs.

READ THE REST
The 2012 SAVE Award Winner

December 21, 2012 at 4:02 PM EST

The results of this year’s SAVE Award voting are in! This year’s winner is Department of Education program officer Frederick Winter of Arlington, Virginia. Frederick’s idea received more than 19,000 votes, out of more than 46,000 ballots cast.

READ THE REST
Fiscal Responsibility

Spending Less, Spending Smarter

September 4, 2012 at 11:31 AM EST

The Campaign to Cut Waste has already achieved $4 billion dollars in savings in 2012, well on track to meet and exceed President Obama's goal of $8 billion by the end of FY 2013.

READ THE REST