Erik Bethel

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Erik Bethel
NationalityAmerican
EducationUnited States Naval Academy
Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania (MBA)

Erik Bethel is a global finance professional with experience in the private and public sectors. In 2020 he was nominated to serve as the U.S. ambassador to Panama.[1] Previously, he was nominated by the president and confirmed unanimously by the Senate to represent the United States at the World Bank.[2]  

Early life and education

Bethel grew up in Miami. His father was Paul Bethel, a career State Department official who was stationed in Cuba, Japan and Germany. His mother is Diana Esperanza Gonzalez Estradé de Bethel. She was born in Havana, Cuba. Bethel graduated with distinction from the United States Naval Academy, where he was an Olmsted Scholar, a Cox Fund Scholar, and a Battalion Commander. He later earned an Master of Business Administration from Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, where he was a Milken Scholar.[3]

Career

Bethel was nominated to serve as the United States ambassador to Panama in 2020. Bethel is a financial professional with more than 25 years of private equity and investment banking experience in Latin America and Asia. He is also a recognized expert on digital assets, and in particular on central bank digital currencies (CBDCs).[4] He began his career at Morgan Stanley in New York covering Brazil, Colombia, and Mexico. Subsequently, he moved to Mexico City as an investment banker and then back to New York where he joined J.P. Morgan's private equity division. In 2006, Bethel relocated to Shanghai, China, where he co-founded a financial firm called Sino-Latin Capital which was subsequently acquired by a division of Franklin Templeton. He has served on the Board of Governors of Opportunity International, a non-profit organization that provides financial services to people living in poverty in developing countries. Bethel serves on the International Advisory Council of Oxford Analytica, an advisor to Global SWF, a sovereign wealth fund analytics platform, a Senior Fellow[5] at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Distinguished Fellow at the Chamber of Digital Commerce, and a Committee Member at the US EXIM Bank."[3]

World Bank service

On November 21, 2017, President Trump announced his intent to nominate Bethel to a two-year term to represent the United States at the World Bank.[6] On December 1, 2017, his nomination was sent to the Senate.[7] On March 22, 2018, his nomination was confirmed 100-0 by voice vote. At the World Bank, Bethel promoted a number of initiatives including spearheading the use of new technologies such as artificial intelligence and blockchain to help streamline World Bank operations.[8]

Ambassadorship nomination

On April 20, 2020, President Donald Trump announced his intent to nominate Bethel to serve as the United States ambassador to Panama.[3] On May 4, 2020, his nomination was sent to the Senate.[9] Given the change in the presidential election outcome, on January 3, 2021, his nomination was returned to the President under Rule XXXI, Paragraph 6 of the United States Senate.[10]

Personal life

Bethel is Married to Michelle Bethel (née Harp) and has three children. He speaks English, Spanish, Portuguese, and Mandarin.[3]

References

  1. ^ "Bethel, Erik P. - Republic of Panama - May 2020". United States Department of State. Retrieved 2023-10-02.
  2. ^ House, The White (2023-01-23). "Nominations Sent to the Senate". The White House. Retrieved 2023-10-02.
  3. ^ a b c d "President Donald J. Trump Announces Intent to Nominate and Appoint Individuals to Key Administration Posts" White House, April 20, 2020 Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  4. ^ The Digitisation of Currency | Erik Bethel | TEDxVerbier, retrieved 2023-10-02
  5. ^ "Erik Bethel". www.csis.org. Retrieved 2023-10-02.
  6. ^ "President Donald J. Trump Announces Key Additions to his Administration", The White House, November 17, 2017
  7. ^ "Twelve Nominations Sent to the Senate Today", The White House, December 1, 2017
  8. ^ "PN1289 - Nomination of Erik Bethel for International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, 115th Congress (2017-2018)". www.congress.gov. March 22, 2018.
  9. ^ "Thirty Nominations and One Withdrawal Sent to the Senate", The White House, May 4, 2020
  10. ^ "PN1731 - Nomination of Erik Paul Bethel for Department of State, 116th Congress (2019-2020)". www.congress.gov. 2021-01-03. Retrieved 2021-01-13.
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