WASHINGTON — President Obama said he intends to appoint Matthew Rubel, a well-known retail industry executive who has held prominent positions at several companies, to serve an additional four-year term on an executive-branch trade advisory committee.
Rubel, who is currently a senior adviser at TPG Capital, was previously chairman, chief executive officer and president of Collective Brands Inc. from 2005 to 2011. Prior to that, he was ceo of Cole Haan from 1999 to 2005. He also held the position of executive vice president of J. Crew group and ceo of Popular Club Plan. He is also a member of the board of trustees of the International Council of Shopping Centers and serves on the boards of Hudson’s Bay Co., Supervalu and HSN.
Obama said he plans to appoint Rubel to serve on the Advisory Committee on Trade Policy Negotiations for a second term. Rubel initially was appointed to the committee, which gives the private sector the opportunity to give input to the U.S. government on critical trade negotiations, in 2010.
“It is an honor to be asked to once again serve my country as a member of the ACTPN,” Rubel said. “I look forward to working with my fellow members and the administration to provide advice on the trade policies that are vital to the economic well-being of our nation.”
Rubel’s appointment to the ACTPN, along with a handful of other executives, including Sandra Kennedy, president of the Retail Industry Leaders Association, comes at a critical juncture in global trade for the U.S., which is involved in two key trade negotiations: the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations with 11 countries and the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership with the European Union.