The business leaders that Kamala Harris could recruit for her Cabinet

TK

Billionaire business leaders and Silicon Valley elites are throwing their support behind Donald Trump and Kamala Harris in ways both loud and quiet.

And either candidate, if elected, is likely to lean on the business sector in building their respective Cabinets.

Trump has already confirmed Elon Musk would have a role in his administration. And while Harris has her own ties to Wall Street, it appears two key surrogates may be out of contention.

Mark Cuban initially floated interest in leading the SEC, but told ABC Sunday that he has “no interest in serving in the Cabinet.” Additionally, Harris’ brother-in-law, the Uber executive Tony West, is currently on leave to assist with the campaign, but plans to return to work after the election.

So what business leaders could Harris ultimately tap if she prevails in November?

Here are some of the candidates she’s reportedly considering. And here’s a list of Trump’s possible picks.

Wally Adeyemo (Secretary of the Treasury)

Wally Adeyemo is second-in-command to current Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen.

After serving in the Obama administration, Adeyemo briefly left government in 2017 to become the first president of the Obama Foundation, as well as a senior advisor at investment giant BlackRock’s Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Politico, Axios, and The Financial Times reported Adeyemo is in consideration to succeed Yellen as Treasury Secretary.

Michael Bennet (Secretary of the Treasury)

Senator Michael Bennet of Colorado has repped the state since 2009. But before politics, beginning in the late ’90s, Bennet was a managing director at Anschutz Investment Company — a venture capital firm owned by the billionaire Philip Anschutz.

During his tenure, Bennet oversaw the restructuring of billions in corporate debt. He was also an early proponent for President Joe Biden to step aside, paving the way for Harris’ ascension.

Politico reported Bennet is being considered for the Cabinet role.

Ken Chenault (Secretary of the Treasury)

Chenault currently serves as chairman and managing director of VC firm General Catalyst Partners, which says it has $30 billion under asset management and 700 portfolio companies.

Before that, Chenault was chairman and CEO of American Express. He serves on the boards of Airbnb, Berkshire Hathaway, Chief, Guild Education, the Harvard Corporation, and a number of nonprofits.

Chenault endorsed Harris at the Democratic National Convention, and has known the Vice President Harris for years, Semafor reports, adding he’s emerged as a top candidate for Treasury Secretary or another role within the administration.

Karen Dunn (White House Chief of Staff)

Dunn, a partner at Paul Weiss, has been involved in a number of prominent national cases — including defending Google in its adtech antitrust trial.

On the political front, Dunn — who may be considered for chief of staff, according to Politico — has overseen debate prep for each of the three previous Democratic presidential candidates, including Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, and Harris.

Blair Effron (Secretary of the Treasury)

Financier Blair Effron is cofounder and partner at advisory firm Centerview Partners, which has advised on $3 trillion worth of transactions across multiple industries.

Effron, a longtime Harris supporter, has personally worked on a number of 11-figure deals, including 21st Century Fox’s $85 billion sale to Disney, and Kraft’s $58 billion merger with Heinz.

Politico and Axios reported Effron is in consideration for the Treasury Secretary role.

Arun Majumdar (Secretary of Energy)

Majumdar is a former Obama-era Department of Energy official who also led the Energy Department team for Biden’s transition. After leaving Washington, he served as VP of Energy at Google, and is now Dean of the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability.

Politico reported Majumdar could be considered for the DOE role if Jennifer Granholm, who has served as Energy Secretary since 2021, chooses to move on.

Ray McGuire (Secretary of Commerce)

Before being tapped as president of financial firm Lazard in 2023, McGuire was Citigroup’s global head of corporate and investment banking for 13 years. He serves on the boards of Hess Corporation and Vornado Realty Trust.

A former candidate for mayor of New York City, McGuire and his wife, Crystal McCrary McGuire — the national finance chair for Harris super PAC the Seneca Project — also backed Harris in her first bid for president.

Axios reported McGuire could be on the list to serve as Commerce Secretary under Harris.

Tom Nides (US Trade Representative)

Nides currently serves as vice chairman of strategy and client relations at alternative asset firm Blackstone, and earlier in his career was at Morgan Stanley in a variety of top roles. But he also has a storied political career.

Nides was the Deputy Secretary of State and COO of the State Department under President Barack Obama — for which he received the Secretary of State’s Distinguished Service Award. He also served as the US Ambassador to Israel from 2021 to 2023.

Axios reports that in addition to being considered for USTR, Nides could also be tapped as UN ambassador.

Charles Phillips (Secretary of Commerce)

Charles Phillips cofounded tech investment company Recognize after serving as the chief executive of enterprise app company Infor. Before that, he held leadership roles at Oracle and Morgan Stanley.

As a longtime Harris supporter, Phillips serves as the co-chair of the Black Economic Alliance — a coalition of business leaders seeking to advance Black economic progress and prosperity — which recently signed a letter endorsing the Vice President’s economic plans.

Axios reported he could be in contention for the Commerce Secretary position.

JB Pritzker (Secretary of Commerce)

Pritzker, the governor of Illinois, is also a billionaire from one of the wealthiest families in America — which owns the famed Hyatt hotel brand.

In the private sector, Pritzsker — who was reportedly in contention to be Harris’ running mate before Tim Walz was chosen — founded Pritzker Group Private Capital with his brother, Tony, which says it has invested in or acquired roughly 100 companies to date.

Politico reported he could be considered for a Cabinet spot.

Gina Raimondo (Secretary of the Treasury)

Before her storied career in government, Gina Raimondo was the founder of VC company Point Judith Capital in 2001.

After becoming the first female governor of Rhode Island, Raimondo was appointed Secretary of Commerce in 2021, and in that role has invested heavily in AI chip manufacturing.

Politico and Axios reported Raimondo was a potential pick to transition to Treasury Secretary given her popularity in the business sector.

Jeff Zients (Secretary of the Treasury)

Jeff Zients. 

Zients currently serves as chief of staff to President Joe Biden, after having been counselor to the president and White House coronavirus response coordinator.

Zients also served in the Obama administration. But before working in government, had a successful business career. The multimillionaire previously served as chairman and CEO of education and healthcare consulting company Advisory Board, and was also a member of the board of Facebook.

Zients could be in the running for Treasury Secretary given his ties to the corporate world, according to The Financial Times.