US confirms LeVine as next Swiss ambassador

Suzi LeVine and her husband, Eric, will be getting to know Switzerland a lot better now that her appointment has been confirmed usembassy.gov

The US Senate has confirmed that Suzi LeVine will become the next ambassador to Switzerland and Liechtenstein. She succeeds Donald S. Beyer, who left his post in May 2013.

LeVine describes herself on the professional social networking site LinkedIn as a “citizen, volunteer and mom”. She previously worked for Microsoft in Redmond, Washington, from 2009-2012. She also worked for the Expedia travel group. She studied English and engineering.

The incoming ambassador was an active campaigner and fundraiser in Obama’s second run for the White House, raising between $450,000 and $1 million (CHF400,000 to CHF900,000).

She is currently chair of the Advisory Board of the Institute for Learning and Brain Sciences at the University of Washington.

It is not unusual for US ambassadorial posts to go to non-career diplomats, in return for ‘services rendered’.