Denis McDonough is currently Professor of the Practice at Notre Dame University’s Keough School of Global Affairs. He is a Partner at Macro Advisory Partners, a strategic advisory firm which helps to navigate the intersection of global markets, geopolitics and policy. He is Senior Adviser at the Markle Foundation, where he advises the CEO and the Chief of Staff on Markle’s work to transform the labor market so that all Americans can thrive in the digital economy. 

From February 2013 to January 2017, Mr. McDonough served as White House Chief of Staff for President Barack Obama. In that role, Mr. McDonough managed the White House staff, as well as Cabinet Secretaries and agency leaders. He advised the President on domestic policy and national security challenges facing the country, management issues facing the federal government, and devised and enforced plans and accountability for performance and goals, maintaining the Obama Administration’s reputation for effective, ethical operation. He planned and coordinated efforts to recruit and retain key talent—including an unprecedented expansion of technology experts and engineers within the White House and across the federal government. 

Mr. McDonough received his B.A., summa cum laude, from St. John’s University (MN) and his M.S. from Georgetown University School of Foreign Service. He lives in Maryland with his wife and three children.