Antony John Blinken (born April 16, 1962) is an American government official and diplomat. He served as Deputy National Security Advisor from 2013 to 2015 and Deputy Secretary of State from 2015 to 2017 under President Barack Obama. Blinken has been chosen by President Joe Biden as his nominee for the position of Secretary of State.
During the Clinton administration, Blinken served in the State Department and in senior positions on the National Security Council staff. He was also a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (2001–2002), Democratic Staff Director of the United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations (2002–2008), and a member of the Bush–Obama presidential transition, active from November 2008 to January 2009. From 2009 to 2013, Blinken served as Deputy Assistant to the President and National Security Advisor to the Vice President. In the private sector, Blinken co-founded WestExec Advisors, a consulting firm.