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Azita Raji

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Azita Raji
United States Ambassador to Sweden
In office
March 8, 2016 – January 20, 2017
PresidentBarack Obama
Preceded byMark Brzezinski
Succeeded byKen Howery
Personal details
Born(1961-09-29)September 29, 1961
Tehran,Iran
DiedFebruary 6, 2022(2022-02-06)(aged 60)
Belvedere, California,U.S.
SpouseGary Syman
Children5
Alma materBarnard College(BA)
Columbia University(MBA)

Azita Raji(Persian:آزیتا راجی,September 29, 1961 – February 6, 2022) was an Iranian-born American diplomat, banker, and philanthropist. She was nominated by PresidentBarack Obamain October 2014[1]to serve as the United States ambassador to theKingdom of Sweden,[2]and confirmed unanimously by the United States Senate in February 2016.[3][4][5]She presented her credentials toKing Carl XVI Gustafon March 15, 2016,[6][7]and completed her tour of duty on January 20, 2017.[8][9]

Ambassador Raji was nominated for the State Department's highest award for a non-career ambassador, theSue M. Cobb Prize for Exemplary Diplomatic Service.She was the first female United States ambassador to Sweden, as well as the first Iranian-born American to serve as an ambassador of the United States.[10]

Early life[edit]

Born inTehran,Iran,Raji completed her high school education inLausanne,Switzerland,where she competed nationally as a downhill skier and chess player, before moving to the United States at the age of 17.[11]She earned aBachelor of Artsin 1983 in architecture and French fromBarnard College,Columbia University,followed by aMaster of Business Administrationin 1991 in Finance fromColumbia Business School.[12]Raji became a U.S. citizen in 1988.[12]

Career[edit]

Financial and philanthropic[edit]

Raji was aChartered Financial Analyst(C.F.A.) and was a member of the Institute for Chartered Financial Analysts since 1991.[13]She was a member of theBretton Woods Committee,an elite organization which supports international finance institutions such as theWorld Bankand theInternational Monetary Fund.[14]Earlier in her career as an international investment banker, she held senior positions at firms includingJ.P. Morgan & Co.,Salomon BrothersandDrexel Burnham Lambert.[15]

Raji's past philanthropic activities have included numerous active leadership roles in the nonprofit sector:[16]Trustee and member of the Executive Committee, Barnard College, Columbia University; Advisory Board, Columbia Business School Tamer Center for Social Enterprise; Founding Co-Chair, Athena Center for Leadership Studies at Barnard College, Columbia University; Economic Advisory Council,Center for American Progress;Director,National Partnership for Women & Families.[17]

Political[edit]

Raji with 2016 Nobel laureateDavid J. Thouless

By 2008, Raji had left the financial sector to focus on national politics. In 2012, she served as National Finance Vice-Chair and Chair of Swing State Victory Fund for the Obama campaign. Raji was a national advisory board member of theDemocratic National Committeeand a member of the Obama for America National Finance Committee from 2008 to 2012.[18]In 2013, President Obama appointed Raji to serve as a Commissioner on The President's Commission onWhite House Fellows.[19]In addition, Raji was appointed a Commissioner of the SmithsonianNational Portrait Gallery.[20]

On July 4, 2016, Raji was recognized as an honoree ofGreat Immigrants:The Pride of America, theCarnegie Corporation of New York's annual recognition of inspiring naturalized U.S. citizens who have made notable contributions to the progress of American society.[21]

On December 10, 2016, as the United States Ambassador to Sweden, Raji readBob Dylan's letter to theNobel Committeeon his behalf during the Nobel banquet inStockholm,in recognition of Dylan being awarded the 2016Nobel Prize in Literature.[22][23][24][25]

Raji was an honoree of the 2017Ellis Island Medal of Honor[26][27]and the Recipient of Barnard College's Joan Rivers Trailblazer Award 2020.[28]

Personal life[edit]

Raji lived and worked in the Middle East, Latin America, Europe, and the Far East and was fluent in several languages, includingPersianand French.[29]She was married to Gary Syman, a former partner ofGoldman Sachs.[30]They have five daughters and seven grandchildren.[31]

Raji died on February 6, 2022 inBelvedere, Californiafrom metastatic breast cancer at the age of 60.[32][33][34]

Published articles[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^"Report for the Committee on Foreign Relations, United States Senate"(PDF).The White House. February 2015.
  2. ^"President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts".whitehouse.gov.October 23, 2014 – viaNational Archives.
  3. ^"America's Empty Embassies".The New York Times.December 29, 2015.
  4. ^"For Norway, an Envoy; For Cruz, a Street Name".The New York Times.February 12, 2016.
  5. ^"Kerry Finally Fills Top Positions at State".ForeignPolicy. February 17, 2016.
  6. ^"Ambassador to Sweden presents her credentials".U.S. Embassy in Sweden. March 22, 2016.
  7. ^"Formal audiences at the Royal Palace of Stockholm".U.S. Embassy in Sweden. March 15, 2016.
  8. ^"The King holds a farewell audience with the USA's ambassador".U.S. Embassy in Sweden. January 16, 2017. Archived fromthe originalon November 19, 2021.RetrievedFebruary 10,2017.
  9. ^"DN Debatt." Inclusion, freedom, and democracy are non-negotiable values "".DN.debatt. February 5, 2017.
  10. ^"US to get first female ambassador in Sweden".The Local SE. October 24, 2014.
  11. ^"Iranian-American woman Azita Raji Nominated For Ambassador To Sweden".Payvand Iran News. October 25, 2014.
  12. ^ab"US Confirms First Iranian-American Ambassador".US Iran.org. March 9, 2016.RetrievedFebruary 9,2022.
  13. ^"Azita Raji".Columbia. November 21, 2012.RetrievedFebruary 9,2022.
  14. ^"Member's Corner".The Bretton Woods Committee. October 2014.
  15. ^"President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts".whitehouse.gov.September 6, 2013 – viaNational Archives.
  16. ^"Report for the Committee on Foreign Relations, United States Senate"(PDF).The White House. February 2015.
  17. ^"Iranian-American woman Azita Raji Nominated For Ambassador To Sweden".Payvand Iran News. October 25, 2014.
  18. ^"Top bundler Azita Raji appointed to White House administrative post".The American Bazaar.RetrievedSeptember 7,2013.
  19. ^"President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts".whitehouse.gov.September 6, 2013 – viaNational Archives.
  20. ^"Obama's top fundraiser Azita Raji is new US ambassador to Sweden".Times of India.October 25, 2014.RetrievedFebruary 9,2022.
  21. ^"2016 Great Immigrants Honorees: The Pride of America".Carnegie Corporation of New York. June 30, 2016.
  22. ^"Bob Dylan Nobel Prize Speech".YouTube. December 11, 2016.
  23. ^"How Does It Feel, by Patti Smith".The New Yorker.December 14, 2016.
  24. ^"The Royal Family attend the Nobel Banquet".Swedish Royal Court. December 10, 2016. Archived fromthe originalon November 19, 2021.RetrievedFebruary 10,2017.
  25. ^"Read Bob Dylan's Nobel Prize in Literature Banquet Speech".Rolling Stone. December 10, 2016.
  26. ^"American Immigrants from 37 Nationalities Honored on Ellis Island".Huffington Post. May 5, 2017.
  27. ^"2017 Ellis Island Medal of Honor recipients".National Ethnic Coalition of Organizations. April 20, 2017. Archived fromthe originalon July 7, 2017.RetrievedMay 26,2017.
  28. ^"Barnard Gala 2020".
  29. ^"The President's Commission on White House Fellowships".The White House.RetrievedSeptember 9,2015.
  30. ^"Check Out The 11 Lucky Wall Streeters Who Were Invited To The Obama Dinner".Business Insider.RetrievedJanuary 20,2011.
  31. ^"Testimony of Azita Raji - Senate".RetrievedNovember 7,2020.
  32. ^McCrohan, Deirdre (March 16, 2022)."Azita Raji of Belvedere was first Iranian-born U.S. ambassador".The Ark.RetrievedMarch 17,2022.
  33. ^"A Role Model for All".Barnard.edu.RetrievedApril 29,2024.
  34. ^"In Memoriam (2022)".State Magazine.gov.RetrievedApril 29,2024.
Diplomatic posts
Preceded by United States Ambassador to Sweden
2016–2017 		Succeeded by
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