President Donald Trump has appointed former businessman Lee Lipton as the new U.S. ambassador to the Philippines, succeeding Marykay Carlson.
In an announcement made on Thursday (Wednesday in the U.S.), the State Department stated that Lipton’s nomination has been sent to the U.S. Senate for confirmation.
Currently, Lipton serves as the Interim Permanent Representative to the United States Mission to the Organization of American States. In this role, he manages staff operations, financial resources, and interagency coordination to advance U.S. foreign policy priorities in the Western Hemisphere.
Lipton also supports U.S. engagement on various regional challenges, particularly ‘efforts to counter malign influence from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) within the Inter-American System.’
According to his State Department profile, before entering public service, Lipton funded and led an apparel business in New York City, where “he oversaw the design, manufacturing, marketing, and distribution of licensed collections for globally recognized brands such as Calvin Klein, St. John Knits, and Guess.”
He holds a bachelor’s degree from Bryant University.
Lipton and his wife of 45 years have two sons.
If confirmed, Lipton will take over from Carlson, who arrived in the Philippines in July 2022.
