Ambassador Nikki R. Haley is the former United States Permanent Representative to the United Nations. She served as a member of the National Security Council and President Donald Trump’s cabinet, where she broke ground as the first South Asian-American woman to hold a cabinet-level position.
Born in Bamberg, South Carolina to parents who immigrated from India, Ambassador Haley learned the value of hard work from a young age. After graduating from Clemson University, Haley worked in accounting and later worked at her family’s business.
She made the transition into politics and ran for office, achieving many firsts in her career. After serving as Representative of South Carolina’s District 87, she became the first minority, and first woman, to serve as Governor of South Carolina. She led the state through some difficult periods, helping to forge unity and consensus in the wake of a racially driven church shooting, a school shooting and a police shooting.
As Governor, Haley also ushered in South Carolina’s largest education reform, making education funding more equitable for schools in the state’s poorest communities.
She was re-elected in 2014 and served as Governor until January 17 when she was confirmed by the U.S. Senate as the country’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations. As a UN ambassador, Haley championed human rights. She challenged human rights violators across the board, standing up to oppressive regimes in Iran, Syria, Venezuela, Cuba and Russia. Her passion and fight for human rights took her across the globe.
Embracing teaching through storytelling, Ambassador Haley imparts lessons in leadership, negotiating and decision-making through first-hand anecdotes from her career in public service.
