President Biden’s former chief of staff, Ron Klain, is joining Airbnb as its chief legal officer, the company said Monday.
Airbnb described Mr. Klain as a “perfect addition” and cited his decades of experience in Washington.
Before serving as the president’s top aide, Mr. Klain was chief of staff to Mr. Biden as vice president and Vice President Al Gore. He also served as the “Ebola czar” under President Barack Obama.
“Ron is both a big-picture strategic thinker and a highly skilled operator, and I’m thrilled he’ll be a close adviser,” Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky said. “People have described Ron as one of the smartest people they’ve ever met, but more than his intelligence, he’s known for his excellent judgment and his big heart.”
Mr. Klain served as White House chief of staff from the start of Mr. Biden’s term to the first month of this year.
During his White House tenure, Mr. Klain oversaw key legislative wins such as the bipartisan infrastructure law and Mr. Biden’s signature tax and climate initiative. He also served during the rocky period in late 2021, when Mr. Biden struggled to withdraw the military from Afghanistan and grapple with new waves of COVID-19 in the U.S.
Jeff Zients took over as White House chief of staff this year while Mr. Klain returned to the O’Melveny & Myers LLP law office.
“I had planned to finish my career there, but the opportunity to work for Brian and join his incredible executive team was impossible to pass up,” Mr. Klain said in the Airbnb statement.
Mr. Klain, who graduated from Georgetown University and Harvard Law School, will start at Airbnb on Jan. 1.
Airbnb offers short- and long-term stays at vacation homes and other properties, often viewed as an alternative to hotel stays.
Recent news stories, however, have highlighted concerns of late about the oversupply of rentals and lagging demand for available properties.
Former White House press secretary Jay Carney, who served under Mr. Obama, joined Airbnb last year as a policy chief.
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
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