Community Lauds 2 Asian Americans Named in Top Posts

By Jennie L. Ilustre

May is Asian American Heritage Month, and the community is in the mood to celebrate. Reason: The new president of the World Bank and the new head of the White House Domestic Policy Council are Americans of Asian heritage.

Remarked Madalene Xuan-Trang Mielke, President & CEO of the Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies (APAICS): “We are thrilled that Ajay Banga has been confirmed to serve as the 14th President of the World Bank–becoming the first Indian American and first Sikh American to lead the organization. In this role, his expertise will be critical to addressing global challenges to developing nations.”

          She added that Neera Tanden, another Asian American leader, was appointed by President Biden to head the Domestic Policy Council. “She a will be the first Asian American to lead any of the three major White House policy councils in history,” she noted.

“We are hopeful to see more Asian Americans and Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders in leadership positions throughout government,“ she said.

Tanden is currently White House senior adviser and staff secretary. She will replace Susan Rice, who is stepping down from the post this month. The position does not need Senate confirmation.  

Banga, former Mastercard CEO, was elected by the World Bank’s board of governors on May 3. He was the lone contender for the post, and is succeeding David Malpass. He will begin his five-year term as president on June 2.

Banga’s Assets

Asked what inspirational traits incoming World Bank President Banga brings to the table, his friend and AAPI Victory Fund Chairman Shekar Narasimhan, replied: “He brings disparate people together to discuss their common values. He articulates bold goals and then lets people experiment before they scale. This was the hallmark of his tenure at Mastercard–and it changed lives both in the U.S. and around the world.”

          In an email interview, he stressed Banga would make a big difference in addressing global problems. “The World Bank is both scorekeeper and funder for a large swath of the world, so it is an extremely important role,” he stressed, adding, “And its gilt-edged rating given sovereign backing makes it indispensable to the developing world.”

He remarked: “Over the years, the World Bank has become very bureaucratic and siloed. The solution to most of the world’s problems needs to be people-centered and Ajay will do that.”

Narasimhan said he has known Banga “for many years.” Both of them went to the same schools: St. Columba’s High School in Delhi and St. Stephen’s College. He recalled their many hours together during India’s Republic Day parade in 2015, when President Obama was the chief guest and they were together as part of the US delegation.

He said he was in his office when he got “a ping that the White House had announced a nominee” for the World Bank post. “I saw it and was ecstatic,” he said, “and I immediately told a large group text!”

President Biden nominated Banga, 63, to the post last February. He congratulated him for obtaining an overwhelming vote. He said Banga would be “a transformative leader,” adding that he would bring “expertise, experience, and innovation” to the job, according to a Reuters report.

Banga has an extensive experience as a business executive. He was executive chairman of Mastercard, after serving as its president and CEO from 2010 until 2020. A year later, he joined join General Atlantic as its vice chairman.

          Banga was the former chairman of the U.S.-India Business Council (USIBC). The Council represented over 300 of the largest international companies investing in India, He also served as chairman of the International Chamber of Commerce.

Tanden Moves Up

In announcing Tanden’s nomination, President Biden praised her extensive experience, as well as her key roles in major government programs.

          “As Senior Advisor and Staff Secretary, Neera oversaw decision-making processes across my domestic, economic and national security teams,” he said.

He remarked: “She has 25 years of experience in public policy, has served three Presidents, and led one of the largest think tanks in the country for nearly a decade. She was a key architect of the Affordable Care Act and helped drive key domestic policies that became part of my agenda, including clean energy subsidies and sensible gun reform.”

“While growing up, Neera relied on some of the critical programs that she will oversee as Domestic Policy Advisor, and I know those insights will serve my Administration and the American people well,” he said. “I look forward to continuing to work closely with Neera in her new role.”

Tanden’s nomination would likely not sit well with Republicans and some Democrats who were the targets of her previous combative Twitter account, according to a Politico report by Adam Cancryn and Eli Stokols.

This was one reason, it added, that Republicans and Sen. Joe Manchin, Democrat from West Virginia, strongly opposed her previous nomination to head the Office of Management and Budget.

Tanden was the President and CEO of the Center for American Progress and the Center for American Progress Action Fund. She previously served as senior advisor for health reform at the Department of Health and Human Services,

Tanden received her Bachelor of Science from UCLA and her Juris Doctor degree from Yale Law School.