Brian Deese was appointed director of the National Economic Council by President Biden in December 2020. Previously, he led the sustainable investing team at BlackRock, focused on identifying drivers of long-term return associated with environmental, social and governance issues and integrating them throughout BlackRock’s investment processes.

Deese worked in the White House under President Obama where he was the President's senior advisor for climate and energy policy, helping to negotiate the Paris Climate Agreement and other national and international initiatives. Early on in the Obama Administration, Brian was one of the key architects in the resurgence of the auto industry after the financial crisis. Brian also served as deputy director of the National Economic Council and deputy director of the Office of Management and Budget. Most recently, he has been providing advice to institutions interested in sustainable investing strategies and lecturing at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

Deese earned a J.D. from Yale Law School, and a B.A. from Middlebury College. He lives in Brookline Massachusetts.