Bill Daley's Biography

Bill Daley has spent his career at the intersection of government and business. As Chief of Staff in the Obama administration, Bill Daley was instrumental in developing the American Jobs Act, he brokered an agreement to reduce the deficit by over $2 trillion, and he played a central role in passing historic trade agreements. Well-known and respected in business and economic circles for his experience as a Secretary of Commerce and JP Morgan Chase banking executive, Bill Daley is an authority on job creation, economic growth, global competitiveness and international trade.

Mr. Daley currently serves as a Managing Partner and the Head of United States Operations at Argentière Capital AG, a hedge fund based in Switzerland.

As President Obama’s Chief of Staff, Mr. Daley was involved in all aspects and issues faced by the President and his administration. President Obama also tapped him to be a co-chair of his reelection campaign.

Prior to serving as Chief of Staff to President Barack Obama, Mr. Daley served as Vice Chair, Chairman of the Midwest Region, and head of the Office of Corporate Responsibility for JP Morgan Chase. Mr. Daley served as President of SBC Communications (now known as AT&T) from 2001-2004.

Mr. Daley was the campaign chairman for Al Gore’s presidential run in 2000, and prior to that, he served as the U.S. Secretary of Commerce from 1997-2000, overseeing a department of more than 40,000 people. Mr. Daley also served as Special Counsel to President Clinton in 1993, focusing on international trade issues.

Earlier in his career, Mr. Daley was a partner at the law firm of Mayer, Brown & Platt; was President and Chief Operating Officer of Amalgamated Bank of Chicago; and was a lawyer at the firm of Daley and George. He has also served on the boards of a number of corporate, academic, medical, charitable and civic organizations.

Bill Daley was born in Chicago, Illinois where he also completed his education including a B.A. from Loyola University and a law degree from John Marshall Law School.

Karl Rove's Biography

Karl Rove, an iconic political strategist and one of the most sought-after political pundits of our time, is best known for his provocative and robust knowledge of major political issues.

Rove served as Senior Advisor to President George W. Bush from 2000–2007 and Deputy Chief of Staff from 2004–2007. At the White House, he oversaw the Offices of Strategic Initiatives, Political Affairs, Public Liaison, and Intergovernmental Affairs and was Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy, coordinating the White House policy-making process. He was the architect of President Bush’s 2008 and 2004 White House victories.

Before the White House, he ran Rove + Co. a Texas based public affairs firm that consulted on over 75 GOP campaigns for Senator, Governor, Congress and statewide offices in 24 states.

Rove was described by author and columnist Michael Barone as “…unique…no Presidential appointee has ever had such a strong influence on politics and policy, and none is likely to do so again anytime soon.” Washington Post Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter David Broder wrote that Rove was a master political strategist whose “game has always been long term…and he plays it with an intensity and attention to detail that few can match.” Conservative editor and columnist Fred Barnes, called him “the greatest political mind of his generation and probably of any generation… He knows history, understands the moods of the public and is a visionary on matters of public policy.”

Mr. Rove writes a weekly op-ed for the Wall Street Journal, appears frequently on the Fox News Channel, and is the author of the New York Times bestseller Courage and Consequence. His latest book is The Triumph of William McKinley. A Colorado native, Rove lives in Austin, Texas where he teaches at the University of Texas and serves on the Texas State History Museum and McDonald Observatory boards.