The US Department of Homeland Security has announced the appointment of Greek-American Aris Kourkoumelis as assistant secretary for trade and economic security.

In the role, Kourkoumelis will lead efforts to counter national security risks tied to strategic competition, forced labor, supply chain vulnerabilities, foreign investment and illicit trade. He will also represent the department on the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) and Team Telecom.

Kourkoumelis joins the department with extensive experience in administrative law, trade, and national security policy. He previously served as senior counsel in the Department of Commerce’s Office of General Counsel, where he helped implement Section 232 tariffs and other strategic trade initiatives. Most recently, he was managing partner at a law firm advising on regulatory and litigation matters, and earlier practiced international trade law at a multinational firm.

He began his legal career clerking for US Court of International Trade Chief Judge Timothy C. Stanceu. Kourkoumelis holds an LL.M. from Columbia Law School and a J.D. from New York Law School.

He has Kefalonian roots.

Source: Ekathimerini.com