Xero – a key client of Sugar & Partners Advertising Auckland – has been forced to defend the appointment of the company’s New York-based chairman to a key role in the new Trump administration, according to NBR Online journalist Karyn Scherer.
The New Zealand businessman Chris Liddell will lead the new White House Strategic Development Group, which will focus on unnamed “priority projects”. It will also be his job to liaise with “private sector forums”.
Trump said in a statement that Mr Liddell’s skills were “exactly what is needed to effect substantial change, including system-wide improvement to the performance of the government”.
Liddell has had a high-profile business career in both New Zealand and the United States. NBR says he expects to let Xero know within the next few days whether it will need to replace him.
Xero’s cornerstone shareholder, tech entrepreneur Peter Thiel, has also been part of the transition team, and a generous Trump donor.
The newspaper says the Twitter backlash has already started!
M+AD has asked Sugar managing partner Jeremy Johnston for comment – we’ll publish this when we hear back
- To read the full story, you need to be a NBR Online subscriber. Sign up here: www.nbr.co.nz/subscribe.
Share this Post
