President Obama announced today that Ron Bloom will serve as his Senior Counselor for Manufacturing Policy. Bloom is also a Senior Advisor to the Secretary of the Treasury, assigned to the President’s Task Force on the Automotive Industry, a position he will maintain.
Here’s the statement from Obama:
Last week we learned that our manufacturing sector expanded for the first time in 18 months and had the highest monthly output in two years. It’s a sign that we’re on the right track to economic recovery, but that we still have a long way to go. That’s why I’ve asked Ron Bloom to help coordinate my Administration’s manufacturing policy. Distinguished by his extraordinary service on the Auto Task Force and his extensive experience with both business and labor, Ron has the knowledge and experience necessary to lead the way in creating the good-paying manufacturing jobs of the future. We must do more to harness the power of American ingenuity and productivity so that we can put people back to work and unleash our full economic potential.
Bloom’s statement on the position:
A strong manufacturing sector is a cornerstone of American competitiveness and a critical part of President Obama’s economic strategy. As we meet the challenges of globalization and technological change, it is vital to have a concerted effort across the Administration to support an innovative, vibrant manufacturing sector.
The official White House announcement:
Ron Bloom is Senior Advisor to the Secretary of the Treasury on the President’s Task Force on the Automotive Industry, a position he has held since February, 2009. Prior to joining the Treasury Department, Bloom served as a Special Assistant to the President of the United Steelworkers Union where his responsibilities included the Union’s collective bargaining program in its core jurisdictions with an emphasis on the particular issues facing the Steelworkers in its dealings with companies facing financial difficulties. He also coordinated the Union’s relationships with investors in both public and private companies. Prior to joining the Steelworkers, Bloom was one of the founding partners of Keilin and Bloom, an investment banking firm, where he was involved in numerous transactions on behalf of the Steelworkers, the Auto Workers, the Teamsters, the Air Line Pilots Association and other unions. Prior to founding Keilin and Bloom, Bloom was a Vice President at the investment banking firm of Lazard Freres & Co. where he specialized in analyzing, structuring and raising financing for union-led employee-ownership transactions. Previously he served as a research and negotiating specialist for the Service Employees International Union. Bloom is a graduate of Wesleyan University and received an MBA with distinction from the Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration.
