Rob Nichols
Encyclopedia
Robert Nichols is the President and chief operating office of the Financial Services Forum
, a position he has held since June 2005. As President and COO, Nichols supervises all activities of the organization. Working with the member institutions, Nichols provides strategic leadership and coordinates the Forum's efforts to educate the public about the importance of robust capital markets, encourage a competitive global marketplace, and shape the national and international regulatory dialogue.
Recently cited as, "Perhaps the country's most powerful trade association," by Time, the Financial Services Forum is a non-partisan financial and economic policy organization comprising the chief executive officers of 20 of the largest and most diversified financial institutions with business operations in the United States. As a group, the Forum's member institutions employ more than 2 million people in 175 countries and hold combined assets of more than $21 trillion—an amount greater than the annual economic output of the United States, China, and the United Kingdom combined. The Forum works to promote policies that encourage savings and investment, a competitive global marketplace, and ensure the opportunity of people everywhere to participate fully and productively in the 21st-century global economy.
Before joining the Forum, Nichols was Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Public Affairs, a position requiring confirmation by the United States Senate. In that capacity, Nichols oversaw all public affairs efforts for a $12 billion federal agency with 117,000 employees and played a leading role in educating the American people about tax and currency policy, debt management, Social Security and Medicare financing, the U.S. government's strategy to freeze terrorists' assets and restrict the flow of money that enables terror, and a host of international and emerging market issues that impact the U.S. economy. As assistant secretary, Nichols established policies for administering public affairs, business affairs, consumer affairs, and intergovernmental affairs programs in the Treasury Department and its bureaus. Nichols also oversaw the Office of Public Liaison, which conducts outreach to business, advocacy, and financial communities, including Wall Street; elicits information, analysis, and opinions from public and private organizations representing business and consumer interests; and communicates Treasury Department views to these entities. During his four and a half year tenure at the Treasury, Nichols gained a rich understanding of the financial markets, the financial services industry, and a wide breadth of economic matters. Nichols is a recipient of the Alexander Hamilton Award, the highest honor of the U.S. Department of the Treasury. In November of 2011, Nichols was included on The New Republic's list of Washington's most powerful, least famous people.
Before joining the Department of the Treasury, Nichols’ career highlights included service as communications director for the Electronic Industries Alliance, a trade organization that represents 1300 U.S. high-technology manufacturers; as a senior aide on Capitol Hill as Communications Director to U.S. Senator Slade Gorton and Press Secretary to Congresswoman Jennifer Dunn, former member of the House leadership; and in the West Wing as an aide in the Office of the Chief of Staff in the George H.W. Bush administration.
In 2008 Nichols officially gave $53,686 in campaign finances to various groups, organizations and canidates.
; he currently in Washington, D.C.
. Graduated from George Washington University
with a BA in political science in 1991. He is a Sigma Alpha Epsilon Alumni Association member Nichols is a Presbyterian and is currently married to Rebecca Nichols; together they have two children.
Financial Services Forum
The Financial Services Forum is a non-partisan financial and economic policy organization comprising the CEOs of 20 of the largest and most diversified financial services institutions doing business in the United States...
, a position he has held since June 2005. As President and COO, Nichols supervises all activities of the organization. Working with the member institutions, Nichols provides strategic leadership and coordinates the Forum's efforts to educate the public about the importance of robust capital markets, encourage a competitive global marketplace, and shape the national and international regulatory dialogue.
Recently cited as, "Perhaps the country's most powerful trade association," by Time, the Financial Services Forum is a non-partisan financial and economic policy organization comprising the chief executive officers of 20 of the largest and most diversified financial institutions with business operations in the United States. As a group, the Forum's member institutions employ more than 2 million people in 175 countries and hold combined assets of more than $21 trillion—an amount greater than the annual economic output of the United States, China, and the United Kingdom combined. The Forum works to promote policies that encourage savings and investment, a competitive global marketplace, and ensure the opportunity of people everywhere to participate fully and productively in the 21st-century global economy.
Before joining the Forum, Nichols was Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Public Affairs, a position requiring confirmation by the United States Senate. In that capacity, Nichols oversaw all public affairs efforts for a $12 billion federal agency with 117,000 employees and played a leading role in educating the American people about tax and currency policy, debt management, Social Security and Medicare financing, the U.S. government's strategy to freeze terrorists' assets and restrict the flow of money that enables terror, and a host of international and emerging market issues that impact the U.S. economy. As assistant secretary, Nichols established policies for administering public affairs, business affairs, consumer affairs, and intergovernmental affairs programs in the Treasury Department and its bureaus. Nichols also oversaw the Office of Public Liaison, which conducts outreach to business, advocacy, and financial communities, including Wall Street; elicits information, analysis, and opinions from public and private organizations representing business and consumer interests; and communicates Treasury Department views to these entities. During his four and a half year tenure at the Treasury, Nichols gained a rich understanding of the financial markets, the financial services industry, and a wide breadth of economic matters. Nichols is a recipient of the Alexander Hamilton Award, the highest honor of the U.S. Department of the Treasury. In November of 2011, Nichols was included on The New Republic's list of Washington's most powerful, least famous people.
Before joining the Department of the Treasury, Nichols’ career highlights included service as communications director for the Electronic Industries Alliance, a trade organization that represents 1300 U.S. high-technology manufacturers; as a senior aide on Capitol Hill as Communications Director to U.S. Senator Slade Gorton and Press Secretary to Congresswoman Jennifer Dunn, former member of the House leadership; and in the West Wing as an aide in the Office of the Chief of Staff in the George H.W. Bush administration.
In 2008 Nichols officially gave $53,686 in campaign finances to various groups, organizations and canidates.
Treasury Department
Nichols was sworn in as Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Public Affairs for the U.S. on August 6, 2003. He was nominated for the position by President George W. Bush on April 10, 2003, was confirmed by the United States Senate on August 1, and sworn in by Treasury Secretary John Snow on August 6.Criticism
Many of the CEOs Nichols represents have been criticized in Congress for contributing to the 2008-2009 financial crisis and economic recession. Eight of these CEOs have had to defend their business practices before angry lawmakers in congressional testimony.Career History
- Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs, U.S. Department of Treasury (Jan. 2003-May 2005)
- Deputy Asst. Sec. for Public Affairs, Treasury (March 2001 - Dec. 2002)
- Director of communicationsDirector of CommunicationsDirector of communications is a position in both the private and public sectors. A director of communications is responsible for managing and directing an organization's internal and external communications...
, Electronic Industries Association (Jan. 2000 - Feb. 2001) - Communications director; Sen. Slade GortonSlade GortonThomas Slade Gorton III is an American politician. A Republican, he was a U.S. senator from Washington state from 1981 to 1987, and from 1989 to 2001. He held both of the state's Senate seats in his career and was narrowly defeated for reelection twice as an incumbent: in 1986 by Brock Adams, and...
(R-Wash.)(March 1998 - Dec. 1999) - Press secretaryPress secretaryA press secretary or press officer is a senior advisor who provides advice on how to deal with the news media and, using news management techniques, helps their employer to maintain a positive public image and avoid negative media coverage....
; Rep. Jennifer DunnJennifer DunnJennifer Blackburn Dunn was a prominent Republican member of the United States House of Representatives 1993–2005, representing .-Early life:...
(R-Wash.), (March 1996 - February 1998) - Political director, Washington Republican Party (Jan. 1995 - Feb. 1996)
- Campaign managerCampaign managerA campaign manager is a paid or volunteer individual, whose role is to coordinate the campaign's operations such as fundraising, advertising, polling, getting out the vote , and other activities supporting the effort, directly.Apart from the candidate, they are often a campaign's most visible leader...
, Jennifer DunnJennifer DunnJennifer Blackburn Dunn was a prominent Republican member of the United States House of Representatives 1993–2005, representing .-Early life:...
(Feb. 1994 - Dec. 1994) - Personal aide to the secretary, U.S. Department of Transportation (Feb. 1992 - Jan. 1993)
- Assistant to Task Force Chairman, Andrew CardAndrew CardAndrew Hill Card, Jr. is a Republican American politician, former United States Cabinet member, and head of President George W. Bush's White House Iraq Group. Card served as U.S. Secretary of Transportation under President George H. W. Bush and the White House Chief of Staff under George W. Bush...
, Presidential Task Force on Hurricane AndrewHurricane AndrewHurricane Andrew was the third Category 5 hurricane to make landfall in the United States, after the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935 and Hurricane Camille in 1969. Andrew was the first named storm and only major hurricane of the otherwise inactive 1992 Atlantic hurricane season...
(Aug. 1992 - Nov. 1992) - Staff assistant, Office of the Chief of StaffChief of StaffThe title, chief of staff, identifies the leader of a complex organization, institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a Principal Staff Officer , who is the coordinator of the supporting staff or a primary aide to an important individual, such as a president.In general, a chief of...
, the White HouseWhite HouseThe White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
(July 1991 - Feb. 1992).
Personal life
Nichols, was born on January 3, 1969, in Camden, New JerseyCamden, New Jersey
The city of Camden is the county seat of Camden County, New Jersey. It is located across the Delaware River from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a total population of 77,344...
; he currently in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
. Graduated from George Washington University
George Washington University
The George Washington University is a private, coeducational comprehensive university located in Washington, D.C. in the United States...
with a BA in political science in 1991. He is a Sigma Alpha Epsilon Alumni Association member Nichols is a Presbyterian and is currently married to Rebecca Nichols; together they have two children.