PUBLIC AFFAIRS SECTION

Press Release

30 July 2009
Swearing In Of Louis B. Susman, New U.S. Ambassador To The Court Of St. James's

The United States Ambassador to the Court of St. James's, Louis B. Susman, was sworn in on July 29 in Washington, D.C. by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. U.K. Foreign Secretary David Miliband attended the ceremony, as did the British Ambassador to the U.S., Sir Nigel Sheinwald.

The U.S. Ambassador to the Court of St. James's, Louis B. Susman, was sworn in on July 29 by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Mrs. Marjorie Susman looks on. (Dept. of State photo)

The U.S. Senate confirmed Ambassador Susman's nomination on July 9, 2009. He plans to take up his duties in London in mid-August.

During the swearing in ceremony, Ambassador Susman said, "There exists a very special relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom, which I intend to nourish, enhance and strengthen. This relationship is deeply rooted in our enduring values of democracy, rule of law and tolerance, and a shared history, culture and language. America has no better friend or more dependable ally than the United Kingdom."

A banker and a lawyer with extensive experience, Ambassador Susman was the Vice Chairman of Citigroup Corporate and Investment Banking. He is also a former member of the Citigroup International Advisory Board. Prior to joining Salomon Brothers, Inc. in June 1989, Mr. Susman practiced law in the City of St. Louis for 27 years and was a senior partner at the St. Louis based law firm of Thompson & Mitchell.

Ambassador Susman has long been active in the public sector. In 1988 he was appointed by President Ronald Reagan to the U. S. Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy, which provided oversight to the U. S. Information Agency. He was a Director of the Center for National Policy in Washington, D.C., a nonpartisan organization that examines national public policy issues. Mr. Susman is also a member of the Chairman's Circle of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, and a member of the Board of The Art Institute of Chicago and The Northwestern Children's Memorial Hospital.

Ambassador Susman received his A.B. from the University of Michigan in 1959 and his LL.B. from Washington University in 1962 where he was elected to Phi Delta Phi. He is married to the former Marjorie Sachs. They have two children and three grandchildren.

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