Ken Mehlman

Kenneth Brian Mehlman (born August 21, 1966) is an American social entrepreneur and businessman.

He serves as a member, global head of public affairs, and co-head of KKR global impact at investment firm Kohlberg Kravis Roberts.

He oversees the firm's responsible investment efforts, leading the firm's Environmental Social Governance programs.

Prior to joining KKR, Mehlman spent a year as an attorney and partner at law firm Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld.

Mehlman received his undergraduate degree in 1988 from Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, where he became a member of Phi Kappa Tau's Xi chapter.

He received his J.D. from Harvard Law School in 1991, where he was a classmate of future President Barack Obama.

Mehlman practiced environmental law at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld in Washington, D.C. from 1991 to 1994, when he became legislative director to Representative Lamar S. Smith of Texas's 21st congressional district.

Mehlman served as Smith's legislative director from 1994 to 1996, and then as chief of staff to Representative Kay Granger of Texas's 12th congressional district from 1996 to 1999.

In 2000, he was appointed director of the White House Office of Political Affairs.

Mehlman served as field director for the 2000 presidential campaign of George W. Bush.

When Bush became president, Mehlman became director of the White House Office of Political Affairs.

Mehlman managed Bush's 2004 re-election campaign, and was 62nd Chairman of the Republican National Committee from 2005 to 2007.

He managed the Bush re-election campaign in 2004.

In January 2005, the American Association of Political Consultants gave Mehlman the "Campaign Manager of the Year" award for his management of the Bush/Cheney presidential ticket.

Mehlman was Bush's choice to replace Ed Gillespie as the chair of the Republican National Committee and was elected to the post on January 19, 2005.

In his address to the NAACP on July 14, 2005, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Mehlman apologized for his party's failure to reach out to the black community in the aftermath of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, stating, "Some Republicans gave up on winning the African-American vote, looking the other way or trying to benefit politically from racial polarization... I am here as Republican chairman to tell you we were wrong."

Mehlman announced after the November 2006 general election that he would not seek re-election to another term as Republican National Chairman.

One of his top deputies, RNC political Director Michael DuHaime, announced in December 2006 that he would become campaign manager for Rudy Giuliani's 2008 presidential campaign.

Mehlman addressed the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) a full year before Bush addressed the civil rights organization.

In 2007, Bush appointed Mehlman to a five-year term on the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Council.

Mehlman joined Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co in 2008.

As of 2021, he continues to be KKR's Global Head of Public Affairs and co-head of KKR Global Impact, helping assess and improve the companies in which KKR invests by engaging stakeholders & leveraging geopolitical & public policy trends.

Mehlman also oversees the firm's global external affairs, including corporate marketing, regulatory affairs & public policy, and communications.

Mehlman leads KKR's Environmental Social Governance (ESG) programs for the firm and its portfolio companies.

In addition to his role at KKR, Mehlman is a trustee of New York's Mount Sinai Hospital, Franklin & Marshall College, and Teach for America.

He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, serves as chairman of the American Investment Council (previously the Private Equity Growth Capital Council), and is co-Chairman of the American Enterprise Institute's National Council.

He is also a trustee and board member of Sponsors for Educational Opportunity (SEO).

In 2010, Mehlman came out as gay in an interview with journalist Marc Ambinder, which made him one of the few prominent openly-gay figures in the Republican Party.

He told Ambinder that he was aware that the Republican Party emphasized an anti-gay agenda but felt that he could not "go against the party consensus" when he held leadership positions.

After coming out, Mehlman advocated for the recognition of same-sex marriage.

Mehlman was born in Baltimore, Maryland.

He is one of two sons born to Judith and Arthur Mehlman.

His father was director of MuniMae and a former partner at KPMG, for which he was the head of the firm's auditing department in the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area.

Mehlman's brother, Bruce, works as a lobbyist at Mehlman Consulting.

Mehlman was appointed to the board of directors of the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board in June, 2016.

In January 2017, Mehlman announced that he would act as chairman of the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative Policy Advisory Board.

Mehlman held several national posts in the Republican Party and the George W. Bush administration.

On January 10, 2017, Mark Zuckerberg announced on Facebook that Mehlman and David Plouffe would be joining the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative.

Mehlman will chair the philanthropy's public policy advisory board, which he stated in his official Facebook post will consist of "a diverse group of advisors and experts."

On March 4, 2021, Mehlman was elected to the board of directors of the United Negro College Fund (UNCF).