Christopher Burnham
![]() | This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these template messages)
|
Chris Burnham | |
---|---|
![]() | |
Under Secretary General of the United Nations for Management | |
In office June 1, 2005 – November 15, 2006 | |
Secretary General | Kofi Annan |
Preceded by | Catherine Bertini |
Succeeded by | Alicia Bárcena Ibarra |
Under Secretary of State for Management Acting | |
In office February 4, 2005 – June 1, 2005 | |
President | George W. Bush |
Preceded by | Grant S. Green Jr. |
Succeeded by | Henrietta H. Fore |
Assistant Secretary of State for Resource Management | |
In office January 30, 2002 – February 4, 2005 | |
President | George W. Bush |
Preceded by | Position established |
Succeeded by | Bradford Higgins |
Treasurer of Connecticut | |
In office January 4, 1995 – July 22, 1997 | |
Governor | John G. Rowland |
Preceded by | Joseph M. Suggs Jr. |
Succeeded by | Paul J. Silvester |
Member of the Connecticut House of Representatives from the 147th district | |
In office November 11, 1987 – January 6, 1993 | |
Preceded by | Chris Shays |
Succeeded by | Michael Fedele |
Personal details | |
Born | Christopher Bancroft Burnham 1956 (age 67–68) |
Political party | Republican |
Education | Washington and Lee University (BA) Harvard University (MPA) |
Christopher Bancroft Burnham (born 1956)[1] is an American business executive, public servant, and politician. He is the chairman and chief executive officer of Cambridge Global Capital, LLC[2] and chairman of the board of EN+ Group.[3] He has served as Under Secretary General for Management of the United Nations, Assistant Secretary of State for Resource Management and chief financial officer of the U.S. Department of State. He was a three-term Member of the Connecticut House of Representatives, Connecticut State Treasurer[4] as well as vice chairman of Deutsche Bank Asset Management and global co-head of private equity.[5]
Early life and education
[edit]Burnham was raised in Stamford, Connecticut. His father, Alexander O. Burnham, was the managing editor of Dodd, Mead & Company and an author.[6]
Burnham earned an undergraduate degree from Washington and Lee University and a master's degree in public administration from Harvard Kennedy School.[7]
Career
[edit]Burnham is a veteran of the United States Marine Corps and a veteran of the first Gulf War. He led one of the first infantry units to reach and liberate Kuwait City in 1991.[7] From 1987 to 1992 he was a representative in the Connecticut General Assembly.[6]
Burnham was elected Connecticut State Treasurer in 1994,[8] defeating the Democratic incumbent Joseph M. Suggs Jr. Burnham resigned effective July 22, 1997, to become president and chief executive officer of Columbus Circle Investors, an investment firm based in Stamford, Connecticut. Because Burnham had previously hired the firm to manage $150 million of the state's pension funds, his decision to join the company came under criticism.[9]
Burnham was an investment banker with Credit Suisse First Boston and Advest Corporate Finance. He was elected to the Connecticut House of Representatives three times, and served as assistant minority leader.[7]
In 2020, Burnham was nominated by President Donald Trump to be the member of the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board (FRTIB).[10][11]
United Nations
[edit]Burnham joined the United Nations in 2005[12] after serving as acting Under Secretary of State for Management for Secretary Condoleezza Rice, and as Assistant Secretary of State for resource management and chief financial officer of the State Department for General Colin Powell. He established the first UN Ethics Office, the first United Nations Independent Audit Advisory Committee, the adoption of new International Public Sector Accounting Standards, the first comprehensive consolidated annual report in the history of the United Nations, and a new whistleblower protection policy that received independent recognition as the “gold standard.”[13]
During his time as under secretary general for management at the UN, Burnham uncovered extensive evidence of fraud involving the purchase of equipment for peacekeeping operations amounting to tens of millions of dollars.[14] The investigation led to the suspension with pay of eight officials from the offices of peacekeeping and management.[15]
Personal life
[edit]Burnham married Courtney Anne Bauer in 1993.[6]
Burnham was a resident of Stamford and Greenwich, Connecticut. He served on President Donald Trump's transition team at the U.S. State Department in 2016.[8]
References
[edit]- ^ "Christopher Bancroft Burnham (1956–)". Department of State. Retrieved September 3, 2022.
- ^ Jaeger2019-01-29T11:15:00+00:00, Jaclyn. "Treasury lifts sanctions on Rusal, En+, ESE". Compliance Week. Retrieved 2022-05-17.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Drummond, James (2022-03-31). "Russian aluminium giant En+ warns of 'difficulties' as war rages in Ukraine". Evening Standard. Retrieved 2022-05-17.
- ^ "SECRETARY-GENERAL APPOINTS CHRISTOPHER BANCROFT BURNHAM OF UNITED STATES AS NEW UNDER-SECRETARY-GENERAL FOR MANAGEMENT". United Nations. May 17, 2005.
- ^ Philip Rucker (2011-10-06). "Mitt Romney taps foreign policy, national security advisers". The Washington Post. Washington, D.C. ISSN 0190-8286. OCLC 1330888409.
- ^ a b c "WEDDINGS; Courtney Bauer, C. B. Burnham". The New York Times. 1993-06-20. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-05-17.
- ^ a b c Department Of State. The Office of Electronic Information, Bureau of Public Affairs. "Burnham, Christopher B." 2001-2009.state.gov. Retrieved 2022-05-17.
- ^ a b Vigdor, Neil (2016-11-21). "CT Politics: Bush pals choreograph Trump's State Department transition". Connecticut Post. Retrieved 2022-05-17.
- ^ Levin, Alan (1997-08-11). "Treasurer's Post Draws Scrutiny". The Hartford Courant. Retrieved 2021-03-30.
- ^ "S.Hrg. 116-495 — NOMINATIONS OF JOHN GIBBS, HON. JOHN M. BARGER, HON. CHRISTOPHER B. BURNHAM, AND FRANK DUNLEVY". www.congress.gov. Retrieved 2022-05-17.
- ^ "TSP Board Nominees Skeptical of China Investment, but Pledge Independence". Government Executive. 10 September 2020. Retrieved 2022-05-17.
- ^ Marilyn V. Swartz (2007). United Nations in Focus: Issues and Perspectives. Nova Publishers. pp. 8–. ISBN 978-1-60021-471-4.
In May 2005, the Secretary-General appointed Christopher Burnham to be U.N. Under Secretary-General for Management.
- ^ Volcker, Paul; Burnham, Christopher (January 9, 2008). "In the Right Direction". The New York Sun. Retrieved 2019-01-10.
- ^ Lynch, Colum (2006-01-24). "U.N. Finds Waste in Peacekeeping Work". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2022-05-17.
- ^ Hoge, Warren (2006-01-24). "U.N. Looking at Charges of Fraud in Procurement". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-05-17.
- 1956 births
- Living people
- American chief executives of financial services companies
- American chief operating officers
- United States Marine Corps personnel of the Gulf War
- Businesspeople from New York City
- Harvard Kennedy School alumni
- Kent School alumni
- Republican Party members of the Connecticut House of Representatives
- Military personnel from New York City
- People from Stamford, Connecticut
- State treasurers of Connecticut
- United States foreign policy
- United States Marine Corps reservists
- Washington and Lee University alumni
- 20th-century American businesspeople
- United States Marine Corps colonels
- United States Assistant Secretaries of State