Ambassador Jon Huntsman

Jon Huntsman currently serves as Vice Chair of Ford Motor Company.  He has spent considerable time in public service at the state, national and international levels.  Huntsman began his career in public service as a staff assistant to President Ronald Reagan.  He has served each of the five U.S. presidents since then in critical roles around the world, including as U.S. Ambassador to Singapore, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Asia, Deputy U.S. Trade Representative, U.S. Ambassador to China, and most recently, U.S. Ambassador to Russia.  Huntsman is the only American in history to have served as Chief of Mission in both China and Russia.  In all four Senate confirmations, he received unanimous votes.  

Twice elected governor of Utah, Huntsman brought about historic economic and tax reforms, tripled the state’s rainy-day fund, and helped bring unemployment rates to historic lows.  While doing so, he was one of Utah’s most popular governors, reaching approval ratings as high as 90 percent.  During his tenure, Utah was named the best managed state in America and ranked number one in the nation in job growth.  Recognized by others for his service, Huntsman was elected Chair of the Western Governors Association, serving nineteen states throughout the region.  He was a candidate for the Presidency in 2012 where he ultimately placed third in the New Hampshire primary before bowing out.

Jon Huntsman currently serves on the board of directors of Ford Motor Company, Chevron, the Nuclear Threat Initiative and co-chairs Intel corporation’s advisory board.  He previously served as Chairman of the Atlantic Council, as a trustee of the U.S. Naval Academy Foundation, the University of Pennsylvania, the Reagan Presidential Foundation, as well as Chairman of the Huntsman Cancer Foundation.  He is a member of the American Academy of Diplomacy and has received the U.S. State Department’s top honor – the Distinguished Service Award – along with service awards from other federal agencies.

 A California native, Huntsman is a seventh generation Utahn and together with Mary Kaye Huntsman are parents of seven children, including two adopted daughters from China and India.  Their two sons, both graduates of the U.S. Naval Academy, are active-duty naval officers.  Huntsman is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and has ten honorary doctoral degrees.