Jon Huntsman, Jr.

Jon Huntsman, Jr.

Jon Meade Huntsman, Jr. (born March 26, 1960) is an American politician, businessman, and diplomat who served as the 16th Governor of Utah from 2005 to 2009, and as United States Ambassador to Singapore from 1992 to 1993, and China from 2009 to 2011. He has served in the administrations of four U.S. Presidents and was a candidate for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination.

Huntsman began his career as a White House staff assistant for Ronald Reagan, and he was appointed Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce and United States Ambassador to Singapore by George H.W. Bush. Later as Deputy U.S. Trade Representative, Huntsman launched global trade negotiations in Doha in 2001 and guided the accession of China into the World Trade Organization. He has also served as CEO of his family owned, Huntsman Corporation and chairman of the Huntsman Cancer Foundation.

While governor, Huntsman was named chairman of the Western Governors Association, and joined the Executive Committee of the National Governors Association. Under his leadership, Utah was named the best managed state in America by the Pew Center on the States. He won re-election in 2008 with nearly 78% of the vote and left office with approval ratings over 80%.