President Obama announced late Nov. 10 his intention to nominate Beth Cobert, Acting Director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), as the permanent director.
“Beth will bring tremendous depth and quality of experience to her role as Director of the Office of Personnel Management,” Obama said in a statement,
“As Acting Director, Beth has effectively pursued strategies to strengthen cybersecurity and improve the way the government serves citizens, businesses, and the federal workforce both past and present. I thank Beth for her commitment to serving the American people and look forward to working with her in the months ahead,” he added.
Cobert has been Acting Director of OPM since July 2015 when former director Katherine Archuleta resigned amid pressure from Republicans in Congress over the OPM personnel hacks. Cobert also serves as the Deputy Director for Management in the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), which she has held since 2013.
Before entering government Cobert served as a management expert at McKinsey & Company from 1984 to 2013, including as director and senior partner.