Richard R. Verma
Trustee
Richard R. Verma serves on the Ford Foundation Board of Trustees. He most recently was the U.S. deputy secretary of state for management and resources. Prior to his appointment, he was general counsel and head of global public policy at Mastercard and the U.S. ambassador to India, where he led one of the largest U.S. diplomatic missions and championed historic progress in bilateral cooperation on defense, trade, and clean energy. He is a former assistant secretary of state and also worked on Capitol Hill as the national security advisor to the senate majority leader. He previously served on Ford’s Board of Trustees from 2022 to 2023, when he left to accommodate his appointment to the State Department.
Verma practiced law for many years at Steptoe & Johnson in Washington, D.C., and is the former vice chairman of the Asia Group, a leading international consulting firm. He is a veteran of the U.S. Air Force and the recipient of a number of military awards and civilian decorations, including the Meritorious Service Medal and the State Department’s Distinguished Service Award.
Verma is a distinguished fellow at Lehigh University. He holds multiple degrees, including a doctorate from Georgetown University and law degree from American University.
