JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon will serve a two-year term as chairman of the Business Roundtable starting in January, the business lobbying group announced Wednesday.
Dimon will replace outgoing Caterpillar head Douglas Oberhelman as head of the group of 192 business CEOs, a major force advocating for tax reform, regulatory changes and trade in Washington.
“The results of the U.S. election reflected in some part the frustration that so many people have with the lack of economic opportunity and the challenges they face,” Dimon said in a statement provided by the group. “By helping to bridge the divide between political parties and working collaboratively to find solutions, Business Roundtable can play a key role in fostering economic mobility and sustained growth.”
Dimon will enter the role one week after President-elect Trump’s transition team announced that Dimon would serve on an advisory committee to the administration. Previously, it had been reported that Trump sought after the election to gauge Dimon’s interest in serving a role in the administration, possibly for treasury secretary, but Dimon has more recently said that he is not seeking to leave his job.
During the last Congress, the Business Roundtable played a significant role in advocating for the Trans-Pacific Partnership, the 12-nation trade deal negotiated by the Obama administration that appears to be endangered under Trump. The group also pushed for a deal on business tax reform that proved elusive in 2015, although Trump and congressional Republicans have indicated that tax reform is a priority.
The Roundtable’s president is John Engler, the former governor of Michigan.
