Former senator Chris Dodd, a close ally of President Joe Biden who has been linked with the role of US ambassador to Ireland, is to join Teneo as a senior adviser.
Mr Dodd, who served in the senate for 30 years, owns a home in Co Galway and had been one of several names in contention to become the next US ambassador to Ireland. However, it is understood that he has signalled his intention to stay in the United States despite an early interest in the role. He is best known as one of the architects of the Dodd-Frank package, a set of financial regulations introduced during the financial crisis to help strengthen the financial system and protect consumers.
The move comes as Teneo, the New York-based consultancy firm, announced it is acquiring a minority stake in WestExec Advisors, a firm with deep links to the Biden administration.
The consultancy was founded by secretary of state Antony Blinken and Michele Flournoy, a former department of defence official in the Clinton and Obama administrations.
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Acquisitions
Other personnel who have worked for WestExec include Avril Haines, who was recently confirmed as the director of National Intelligence and Dan Shapiro, the former ambassador to Israel.
The move to hire Mr Dodd, together with the WestExec deal, signals a move by Teneo to foster closer links with the new administration in Washington. Teneo, which has more than 20 offices around the world, including in Dublin, is led by Irish man Declan Kelly, who was appointed economic envoy to Northern Ireland by former secretary of state Hillary Clinton.
It follows a number of recent acquisitions by the company, including in the United Kingdom.
Confirming the deal on Monday, WestExec’s managing partner Ms Flournoy said the company was “excited about strengthening our collective service offerings in partnership with Teneo”. The two firms are understood to have some client overlap.
“This relationship advances our goal to provide best in class strategic advice to industry leaders bringing to bear a team of diverse professionals,” she said.
Mr Kelly said that the two firms offer “highly complementary services”.
“We are confident that through our new partnership we will deliver even further value to our respective clients around the world,” he said.
