Committee member urges swift confirmation of Meg Whitman as ambassador to Kenya

An unidentified committee member formally introduced Meg Whitman to the committee and urged her swift confirmation as the United States' next ambassador to Kenya. The introducer framed Whitman's private-sector track record and philanthropic work as qualifications for leading the U.S. mission in Nairobi.

The introducer said he has known Whitman for more than 40 years, first meeting her at Bain and Company, and described her tenure at major technology companies. He noted Whitman served as president and CEO of eBay from 1998 to 2008 and said "when she left 10 years later, eBay had 15,000 employees and $8,000,000,000 in revenue." He also said Whitman served as president and CEO of Hewlett Packard beginning in 2011 and credited her with helping to rebuild the company after it "fell behind" in a changing market.

The introducer cited Whitman's academic credentials—Princeton University (1977) and Harvard Business School (1979)—and highlighted her philanthropic work focused on education and the environment. He also noted Whitman's husband, Dr. Chris Harsh, was present at the hearing and said the couple raised two sons.

Turning to foreign policy, the introducer argued that Kenya plays "a pivotal role in stabilizing and sustaining the region" and that the United States "needs Meg Whitman's character, judgment, and sheer determination deployed to Kenya as soon as possible." He closed by urging committee members and Senate colleagues to support her confirmation. The transcript of the remarks records only the introduction and the plea for prompt confirmation; no vote or other formal committee action is recorded in the provided excerpt.