(Bloomberg) -- Eric Branstad, a former Trump administration official and the son of the U.S. ambassador to China, is joining the public relations and lobbying firm Mercury as a managing director.
Branstad will head Mercury's new office in Des Moines, according to a statement from the firm. He'll focus on public affairs and international trade, the company said.
Branstad was until January the White House adviser at the Commerce Department, where he was an aide to Secretary Wilbur Ross. His father Terry Branstad, the former governor of Iowa, is ambassador to China.
Eric Branstad founded the Des Moines-based consulting firm Matchpoint Strategies and led a pro-ethanol group called America's Renewable Future. He worked on the Bush-Cheney re-election campaign in 2004. He was state director in Iowa for President Donald Trump's 2016 campaign, then worked for Trump's inauguration committee.
“Eric brings a proven perspective on the current political landscape and deep policy experience across several sectors,” Mercury CEO Kieran Mahoney said in a statement.
To contact the reporter on this story: Jennifer Jacobs in Washington at jjacobs68@bloomberg.net.
To contact the editors responsible for this story: Alex Wayne at awayne3@bloomberg.net, John Harney
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