WASHINGTON (MNI) – The White House issued the following Tuesday
afternoon:

President Obama Announces Acting Director of the Office of
Management and Budget Jeffrey Zients

Today the White House announced that current Deputy Director for
Management and Chief Performance Officer Jeffrey Zients will serve as
the Acting Director of the Office of Management and Budget.

“I’m pleased to designate Jeff Zients to lead the Office of
Management and Budget. Since day one, Jeff has demonstrated superb
judgment and has provided sound advice on a whole host of issues,” said
President Obama. “With decades of experience, Jeff has been a
tremendous asset to our team and I’m confident in his ability to help us
rebuild an economy where hard work and responsibility pay off and the
middle class has a chance to get ahead.”

Jeff Zients was confirmed by the Senate on June 19, 2009 as the
Deputy Director for Management of the Office of Management and Budget
and the nation’s first Federal Chief Performance Officer, and served as
OMB’s Acting Director from July-November 2010. Mr. Zients has twenty
years of business experience as a CEO, management consultant and
entrepreneur with a deep understanding of business strategy, operations
and process improvement, and financial management. His expertise extends
across a broad range of industries and geographies.

Mr. Zients served as CEO and Chairman of The Advisory Board Company
and Chairman of the Corporate Executive Board, firms that are leading
providers of performance benchmarking and management best practices for
senior executives at over 5,000 businesses.

Mr. Zients also co-founded The Urban Alliance Foundation, a
non-profit organization that partners with corporations to provide
economically disadvantaged youth with year-round paid internships, adult
mentors and job training. Zients graduated summa cum laude from Duke
University with a degree in Political Science. He and his wife Mary live
in Washington, D.C. and have four children.

** Market News International Washington Bureau: 202-371-2121 **

[TOPICS: M$U$$$,MFU$$$,MCU$$$]