Niki Christoff (born March 27, 1978, in Pittsboro, Indiana) is CEO of Christoff & Co, a D.C. strategic consultancy, host of the podcast Tech'ed Up, American lawyer, and former Republican campaign operative, perhaps best known for serving on John McCain’s 2008 presidential campaign.
Niki Christoff | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | March 27, 1978 |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation(s) | Politics, lawyer |
Biography
editChristoff was born and raised in Pittsboro, Indiana.[1] She graduated magna cum laude from Harvard College in 2000 and earned a J.D. from Harvard Law School in 2003.[2] Based in Washington D.C., she worked for Republican pollster Frank Luntz before joining Senator John McCain’s Straight Talk America PAC in 2006. She later joined the presidential campaign full-time to work on the public policy team. Christoff left the Republican party and registered as an independent in 2017.[3][4] In 2020, she helped lead a group of McCain team alums to endorse Joe Biden for president.[5]
She has held senior positions at Google[6] and Uber,[7] and was previously the Senior Vice President of Strategy and Government Relations at Salesforce.[8][9]
In May 2020, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff fired Christoff for insubordination when she ignored company policy restricting external board service to the C-suite.[10][11] The New York Times wrote, "Ms. Christoff’s story highlights one of the biggest unspoken challenges facing companies’ efforts to diversify their boards: Many of the nation’s biggest companies don’t allow their employees to join outside boards, especially not those below the senior-most ranks."[12][13]
In September 2021, Tech'ed Up, a podcast from bWitched Media covering emerging trends in tech, launched with Christoff as host. Guests have included SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce, Senator Mark Warner, and New York Times reporter Cecilia Kang.[14]
Recognition
editIn 2019, she was named by Fortune as one of the 25 Most Powerful Women in Politics.,[15] and was also recognized in Washington Life's 2019 list of Tech Innovators and Disruptors[16] and a member of Tech's Frontline in Washington, D.C.[17]
On March 10, 2020, Christoff was named a member of The Washington Post Technology 202 Network, described by the newspaper as "a panel of technology experts from across the government, the private sector and the consumer advocacy."[18]
References
edit- ^ "New born". The Indianapolis Star.
- ^ "WEDDINGS/CELEBRATIONS; Nicole Christoff, John Fenwick". The New York Times. 2004-06-13. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-03-18.
- ^ "Key People-Sen. John McCain". p2008.org. Retrieved 2020-03-18.
- ^ "Hill Heat : Google's Republican Lobbyists and Representatives". www.hillheat.com. Retrieved 2020-03-18.
- ^ "Over 100 Ex-Staff Members for John McCain Endorse Joe Biden". Retrieved 2020-08-27.
- ^ Lynley, Matt. "THE PR 50: The Best Communications Pros In Technology". Business Insider. Retrieved 2021-04-19.
- ^ Dickson, Rebecca (2016-02-23). "Taking the wheel at Uber". TheHill. Retrieved 2020-05-22.
- ^ Guinto, Joseph (2019-10-03). "Tech Titans 2019: Washington's Top Tech Leaders". Washingtonian. Retrieved 2020-05-22.
- ^ Gold, Ashley; Stern, Christopher. "Tech's Frontline in Washington, D.C." The Information.
- ^ DiFeliciantonio, Chase (2020-12-05). "Former Salesforce executive says she was fired for taking outside board seat". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2021-04-19.
- ^ Zaveri, Paayal. "Inside the firing of a Salesforce executive who ignored Marc Benioff's company policy and took a board seat". Business Insider. Retrieved 2021-04-19.
- ^ Sorkin, Andrew Ross (2021-02-16). "A Hidden Hurdle in Efforts to Diversify Boardrooms". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-04-19.
- ^ Sorkin, Andrew Ross; Karaian, Jason; Merced, Michael J. de la; Hirsch, Lauren; Livni, Ephrat (2021-02-16). "What's Delaying Boardroom Diversity". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-04-19.
- ^ Din, Benjamin (2021-09-30). "Senators vs Facebook, Round 2 Innovators & Disruptors: The 2019 Tech 25". Politico. Retrieved January 20, 2022.
- ^ "The 25 Most Powerful Women in Politics". Fortune. Retrieved 2020-03-17.
- ^ "Innovators & Disruptors: The 2019 Tech 25". Washington Life. Retrieved 2020-10-19.
- ^ "Tech's Frontline in Washington, D.C." The Information. Retrieved 2021-04-19.
- ^ "The Technology 202Network:/". The Washington Post.