Demetrios Marantis
Demetrios J. Marantis | |
|---|---|
| Born | May 28, 1968 |
| Occupation(s) | Attorney, government trade official, lobbyist, corporate executive |
| Years active | 1993–present |
| Known for | Acting United States Trade Representative (2013) |
Demetrios J. Marantis (born May 28, 1968) is an American attorney, former high-ranking government trade official, lobbyist, and corporate executive. He held the position of acting United States Trade Representative (USTR) from March 15 until May 23, 2013. Prior to this, he served for four years as Deputy Trade Representative under Ron Kirk, assuming the acting role following Kirk's departure in March 2013.
Early life and education
Marantis completed his secondary education at Harrison High School located in Harrison, New York. He obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in public and international affairs from Princeton University in 1990, followed by a juris doctor degree from Harvard Law School in 1993. Upon graduation from law school, he joined the law firm Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, practicing in both Washington, D.C., and Brussels.
Public sector career
In 1998, Marantis began his tenure at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) as associate general counsel. Between 2002 and 2004, he was based in Hanoi working with the U.S.-Vietnam Trade Council to advance bilateral trade relations. Returning to the United States, he served as an issue director for John Edwards during John Kerry’s 2004 presidential campaign.
Starting in 2005, Marantis took on the role of chief international trade counsel for the United States Senate Committee on Finance. During this period, he assisted Chairman Max Baucus in negotiating an expansion of Trade Adjustment Assistance and played a key role in securing approval for the Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement. His efforts received bipartisan commendation, including recognition from ranking Republican Charles Grassley. In 2009, President Obama nominated him as Deputy Trade Representative; following Senate confirmation, he led trade negotiations across Asia and Africa and managed tariff and intellectual property discussions with China.
Post-government career
Between 2013 and 2015, Marantis founded and led government relations at Square (now known as Block, Inc.). In October 2015, he joined Visa Inc. as Senior Vice President for Global Government Relations, where he was instrumental in launching the Visa Economic Empowerment Institute, supported COVID-19 relief initiatives targeting women-owned small businesses, and championed efforts to prioritize digital trade development with Africa and other regions.
In September 2021, Marantis assumed the role of Global Head of Corporate Responsibility at JPMorgan Chase.
Personal
Marantis lives in Washington D.C. with his husband, renowned society hair stylist Christophe Jouenne. The couple was married in San Francisco in 2019.