Arthur Sinodinos

Arthur Sinodinos AO (/ˌsɪnəˈdiːnəs/ SIN-ə-DEE-nəs; Greek: Άρθουρ Σινοδινός, romanized: Árthour Sinodinós; born 25 February 1957) is an Australian diplomat and former Liberal Party politician, who was the Ambassador to the United States between February 2020 and March 2023. He served as Chief of Staff to Prime Minister John Howard from 1997 to 2007 and was a Senator for New South Wales from 2011 to 2019, becoming a minister in the Abbott and Turnbull governments.

Sinodinos was born in Newcastle, New South Wales, and attended the University of Newcastle. For many years, he was a public servant until becoming a political adviser. In 1997 he was appointed Chief of Staff to John Howard. After Howard's defeat at the 2007 election, Sinodinos spent time working for both Goldman Sachs and the National Australia Bank, before being appointed to fill a vacant seat in the Senate in 2011. After the Liberal victory at the 2013 election, newly-elected Prime Minister Tony Abbott appointed Sinodinos Assistant Treasurer. Sinodinos later stepped aside from his ministerial duties in 2014 during an investigation by the New South Wales Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC). In September 2015, after Malcolm Turnbull's appointment as Prime Minister, Sinodinos was appointed Cabinet Secretary. He was later made Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science in January 2017. He resigned from the Government in December 2017, due to receiving treatment for cancer. In May 2019, Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced that Sinodinos would become Ambassador to the United States.