Benjamin Friedmann is Vice President of External Affairs for the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation, where he oversees the agency’s Public Affairs, Legislative Affairs, and Stakeholder Engagement divisions.
Mr. Friedmann is a seasoned media and technology executive who has served as a senior government official in both administrations of President Donald J. Trump.
He was previously appointed Deputy Assistant Secretary of Digital Strategy in the Department of State’s Bureau of Global Public Affairs. In that role, Mr. Friedmann led multiple offices — with a combined staff of over 120 personnel operating 24/7 across four continents — responsible for the Department’s global communications and engagement strategy.
Under his leadership, the bureau underwent an historic transformation, including the combination of domestic and international digital public diplomacy offices as part of the Department's largest internal merger in 20 years, powering unprecedented growth in output, reach, and engagement.
Prior to joining the State Department, Mr. Friedmann held leadership roles with the Republican Governors Association, the Republican National Convention, and the National Republican Senatorial Committee. He has led or staffed media operations for three GOP conventions.
Before entering politics, Mr. Friedmann was a marketing executive at Google, leading national small and medium business outreach programs, was selected as the Google Election team’s liaison to the 2012 Republican presidential campaign, and later managed Fortune 500 strategic marketing partnerships for the firm’s Global Business Operations unit. He also co-chaired the Google American Indian Network. Mr. Friedmann began his career as an agent’s assistant at the storied Creative Artists Agency in Los Angeles.
Mr. Friedmann earned an MBA from Columbia University and holds a bachelor’s in Radio/TV/Film and International Studies from Northwestern University.