Obama Picks Gips for Ambassador to South Africa

President Barack Obama announced his intent to nominate Donald Gips to be Ambassador to the Republic of South Africa. Gips is currently the Assistant to the President and Director for Presidential Personnel. Prior to serving in the White House, Gips helped lead then President-elect Obama's Presidential Transition Team as a Co-Chair for the Agency Review team. From 1998-2008, Gips was Group Vice President of Global Corporate Development for Level 3 Communications, where he led merger and acquisition efforts and was the Chief Strategy Officer. Gips previously served in the White House as Chief Domestic Policy Advisor to Vice President Al Gore. Mr. Gips also was Chief of the International Bureau at the Federal Communications Commission where he was responsible for the WTO negotiations and all spectrum policy, and helped launch the Americorps Program at the Corporation for National Service. Before entering government, he was an Executive Manager at McKinsey & Company. Gips his MBA from the Yale School of Management and received his undergraduate degree from Harvard University.