Yohannes Abraham was sworn in as U.S. Ambassador to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations on September 19, 2022.
Prior to assuming this position, Abraham served as Chief of Staff and Executive Secretary of the National Security Council (NSC). In this role, he oversaw NSC operations, the facilitation of the interagency national security policy process, the White House Situation Room, and planning for President Biden’s diplomatic engagements at home and abroad.
Before joining the NSC, Abraham was the Executive Director of the Biden-Harris Transition. Reporting to Transition Co-Chairs Jeff Zients and Senator Ted Kaufman, Abraham was responsible for all aspects of transition planning and execution for the incoming administration. This included managing the national security, economic, and domestic policy planning teams, as well the personnel process, including Cabinet selection.
Abraham served in several White House roles during the Obama-Biden Administration, including as Senior Advisor to the National Economic Council and as Deputy Assistant to the President for Intergovernmental Affairs and Public Engagement. Abraham has also worked in the Vanguard Group’s global investment unit and taught at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government.
A native of Springfield, Virginia, Abraham holds a BA from Yale College and an MBA with High Distinction from Harvard Business School.