WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo welcomed
President Biden’s nominees to serve as Assistant Secretaries of Commerce at the Bureau of
Industry and Security (BIS), Thea D. Rozman Kendler and Matthew S. Axelrod, following their
unanimous confirmations by the United States Senate.

“The Bureau of Industry and Security is at the forefront of some of the most consequential
matters facing our national security and economy, and I am thrilled to welcome Thea and Matt to
the Department of Commerce’s leadership team,” said Secretary Raimondo. “BIS plays a key
role in our strategic competition with China, advancement of U.S. technological leadership, and
promotion of secure trade that benefits the American people and global stability. Thea and Matt
are highly qualified, experienced national security professionals and I look forward to working
with them to advance President Biden’s agenda on these and many other issues.”

“National security, foreign policy, economics, and technology are more interconnected than ever,
and these issues all converge in BIS. We are at the forefront of our nation’s response to the
challenges involving China, Russia, supply chains, and emerging and foundational technologies,
just to name a few,” said Assistant Secretary Kendler, “While these issues are complex, I have
great confidence in the dedicated professionals of Export Administration. I look forward to
working with my interagency counterparts and with our allies to ensure we have a rigorous and
effective export control system that furthers global security.”

“The United States distinguishes itself in the international rules-based order through its
commitment to democracy, human rights, and the rule of law. I’ve dedicated my career to these
principles and am honored to join an Administration that has put those principles at the heart of
its agenda,” said Assistant Secretary Axelrod. “I am humbled to lead the highly-effective team of
national security professionals at Export Enforcement as we contend with efforts by China,
Russia, Iran, non-state actors, and others to divert peaceful commerce to malign ends.”

Thea D. Rozman Kendler was confirmed by the United States Senate on December 14, 2021 and
began service as the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Export Administration on December
20. In this role, Ms. Kendler leads Export Administration’s highly trained technical professionals
in controlling the export of dual-use and military items for national security and foreign policy
reasons, analyzing the impact of export controls, and supporting the U.S. defense industrial base.
Among other responsibilities, Ms. Kendler chairs the Advisory Committee on Export Policy
(ACEP), which resolves interagency policy disputes related to export license applications
submitted to BIS. To advance U.S. national security and foreign policy interests, Ms. Kendler
regularly engages with Congress, industry, academia, and other stakeholders on the nature and
scope of BIS’s activities and the Export Administration Regulations (EAR).

Matthew S. Axelrod was confirmed by the United States Senate on December 18, 2021 and
began service as Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement on December 28, 2021. In this
capacity, Mr. Axelrod leads an elite cadre of special agents and analysts dedicated to the
enforcement of the country’s export control laws. Mr. Axelrod and his team help to protect and
promote U.S. national security and foreign policy objectives by stopping exports of sensitive
goods and technologies that can be put to malign purposes like weapons-of-mass-destruction
proliferation, military and military-intelligence applications, terrorism, and human rights abuses.
They also work to ensure U.S. persons do not participate in unsanctioned foreign boycotts.

Additional biographical information on Assistant Secretary Kendler and Assistant Secretary
Axelrod is available here.
                               

                                               For more information, visit www.bis.doc.gov.
                                                                                 

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