MIT CTL Global Leadership Lecture Series

Tom Donohue, President and CEO, U.S. Chamber of Commerce

Bio: Thomas J. Donohue is president and CEO of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Since assuming his position in 1997, Donohue has built the Chamber into a lobbying and political powerhouse with expanded influence across the globe. During Donohue's tenure, the Chamber's lobbyists, policy experts, legal advocates, and communicators have helped secure business victories on Capitol Hill, in the regulatory agencies, in politics, in courts of law and in the court of public opinion, and before governments around the world.

In an era of economic and fiscal challenges, Donohue has aggressively advanced The American Jobs and Growth Agenda, a plan that includes expanding trade and domestic energy production, rebuilding America's infrastructure, combating an avalanche of new regulations, protecting intellectual property, revitalizing capital markets, and reforming entitlements and the tax system.

Donohue established the U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform, which advances significant legal reforms in the courts, at the state and federal levels, and in elections for state attorneys general and Supreme Court judges. In addition, he has dramatically expanded the activities of the National Chamber Litigation Center, the Chamber's law firm, and the National Chamber Foundation, the Chamber's public policy think tank.

Previously, Donohue served for 13 years as president and CEO of the American Trucking Associations, the national organization of the trucking industry. Earlier in his career, Donohue was deputy assistant postmaster general of the United States and vice president of development at Fairfield University in Connecticut. He serves on the boards of Union Pacific Corporation and Sunrise Senior Living Corporation.

Born in New York City, Donohue earned a bachelor's degree from St. John's University and a master's degree in business administration from Adelphi University. He holds honorary doctorate degrees from Adelphi, St. John's, and Marymount universities, as well as the National University of Ireland at Maynooth.

More information on the Global Leadership Lecture Series can be found on the Global Leadership Lecture Series webpage.