Rachna Korhonen
Rachna Korhonen | |
|---|---|
 | |
| United States Ambassador to Mali | |
| Assumed office March 16, 2023 | |
| President | Joe Biden |
| Preceded by | Dennis B. Hankins |
| Personal details | |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | Empire State College (BS) |
Rachna Sachdeva Korhonen is an American diplomat who has served as the United States ambassador to Mali since March 2023.
Early life and education
[edit]Korhonen is from Flemington, New Jersey. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in computer science and mathematics from Empire State College.[1]
Career
[edit]Korhonen began her career as a software programmer for IBM. From 1993 to 1999, she was a technical consultant at AT&T. She also worked in sales for the Zed Group, Telia Company, and Infosys. Korhonen joined the United States Foreign Service in 2004 and served in Dhahran, Colombo, and Washington, D.C.[2] Korhonen also served in the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs and Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs. She was also an advisor to the under secretary of state for management.[3]
U.S. ambassador to Mali
[edit]On April 22, 2022, President Joe Biden announced his intent to nominate Korhonen to be the next United States ambassador to Mali.[3] On April 25, 2022, her nomination was sent to the Senate.[4] On August 3, 2022, hearings on her nomination were held before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. On December 7, 2022, the committee favorably reported her nomination to the Senate. On December 13, 2022, her nomination was confirmed by the Senate by voice vote.[5] She presented her credentials to President Assimi Goïta on March 16, 2023.[6]
Personal life
[edit]Korhonen speaks Hindi, French, Finnish and Arabic.[3]
References
[edit]- ^ "Rachna Korhonen". United States Department of State. Retrieved April 15, 2022.
- ^ "'American Sharqawia': US Consul General Rachna Korhonen bids Saudi Arabia farewell". Arab News. July 9, 2020. Retrieved April 15, 2022.
- ^ a b c "President Biden Announces Key Nominees". The White House. April 15, 2022. Retrieved April 15, 2022.
- ^ "Nominations and Withdrawals Sent to the Senate" (Press release). Washington, D.C.: The White House. April 25, 2022.
- ^ "PN1960 - Nomination of Rachna Sachdeva Korhonen for Department of State, 117th Congress (2021-2022)". www.congress.gov. December 13, 2022. Retrieved December 13, 2022.
- ^ Korhonen, Rachna [@USAmbMali] (March 16, 2023). "It's official! Presented my credentials today. Had a good conversation and I am looking forward to many more" (Tweet). Retrieved March 18, 2023 – via Twitter.