Brian Deese

Brian Deese is an American economic and political advisor who has served at the highest levels of two presidential administrations. Deese was the 13th director of the National Economic Council under President Joe Biden. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from Middlebury College and a Juris Doctor from Yale Law School. Deese is among the youngest individuals to hold the National Economic Council post and is recognized for championing climate policy within economic strategy.

Deese began his public service career during the Obama administration, where he was appointed special assistant to the president for economic policy, serving in the National Economic Council. He played a key role in the auto industry bailout, specifically the Chrysler and GM restructuring. Deese was later promoted to senior advisor to the president, where he contributed to negotiating the Paris Climate Agreement and worked to secure climate agreements with countries including China, India, and Brazil. He was instrumental in advancing international climate policy, including the Hydrofluorocarbons Agreement and the Aviation Agreement.

Between government roles, Deese served as global head of sustainable investing at BlackRock, focusing on climate and sustainability risk in investment portfolios and developing strategies for the low-carbon transition. Upon returning to public service, Deese led the National Economic Council, where he helped shape legislation such as the American Rescue Plan, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the CHIPS and Science Act, and the Inflation Reduction Act. At the National Economic Council, Deese was a principal architect of domestic economic policy and played a significant role in advancing climate and economic legislation.

Deese is also a writer whose work has appeared in publications including The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic, Foreign Policy, and Foreign Affairs. He co-wrote the book "Delivering on Debt Relief" during his time at the Center for Global Development. After his tenure in the Biden administration, Massachusetts Institute of Technology appointed Deese as Institute Innovation Fellow, focusing on strengthening U.S. industrial capacity and accelerating climate investment and innovation. He is the CEO of Foundry-Logic. Throughout his career, Deese has worked at the intersection of economic policy, finance, and environmental strategy, contributing to major developments in climate policy and sustainable investing.