Thomas J. Donohue

Thomas J. Donohue is president and CEO of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Since assuming his position in 1997, Donohue has built the Chamber into a lobbying and political powerhouse with expanded influence across the globe.

Donohue has aggressively advanced The American Jobs and Growth Agenda, a plan that includes opening markets to American goods and services around the world, dramatically expanding American energy production, rebuilding America’s infrastructure, combating an avalanche of new regulations, spurring innovation, and  reforming the tax code and entitlements.

In addition, Donohue spearheaded the creation of the American Free Enterprise. Dream Big. campaign, a positive, long-term program to defend, protect, and advance a free enterprise system based on individual initiative, hard work, and personal responsibility—operating with free trade, free capital markets, and reasonable taxes and regulations.

During Donohue’s tenure, the Chamber’s lobbyists, policy experts, and communicators have helped secure many legislative victories, including major tax cuts, more sensible workplace and environmental regulations, and increased funding for transportation. On the international front, the Chamber has become a leader in knocking down trade barriers, winning new free trade agreements, and fighting isolationism at home and abroad.

Under Donohue’s leadership, the Chamber has emerged as a major political force by educating the public about the business records of congressional candidates and by generating voter enthusiasm through the Chamber’s powerful grassroots program.

Donohue established the U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform, which advances significant legal reforms in the courts, at the state and federal levels, and in elections for state attorneys general and Supreme Court judges. The National Chamber Litigation Center, the Chamber’s law firm, is an aggressive advocate for businesses in the courts. The National Chamber Foundation, the Chamber’s public policy think tank, drives the policy debate on key topics and provides a forum where leaders advance cutting-edge issues facing the U.S. business community.

Donohue has also launched a number of multimillion-dollar initiatives around several key issues, including a national energy strategy, stronger capital markets, and protection of intellectual property.

Previously, Donohue served for 13 years as president and CEO of the American Trucking Associations, the national organization of the trucking industry.

Donohue serves on two corporate boards of directors—Union Pacific Corporation and Sunrise Senior Living Corporation. He is president of the Center for International Private Enterprise, a program of the National Endowment for Democracy dedicated to the development of market-oriented institutions around the world.

Born in New York City in 1938, Donohue earned a bachelor’s degree from St. John’s University and a master’s degree in business administration from Adelphi University. He holds honorary doctorate degrees from Adelphi, St. John’s, and Marymount universities, as well as the National University of Ireland at Maynooth. Donohue and his wife, Liz, live in Potomac, Maryland. They have three sons and five grandchildren.

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