Jeffrey Dunston Zients, born on November 12, 1966, is an American business executive and government official known for his roles in high-level management and public service. He began his career in management consulting, developing strategies and improving operations for Fortune 1000 companies, with a focus on fusing management consulting, healthcare, and finance. During the Obama administration, Zients served as the first chief performance officer in 2009, tasked with making government run smarter and less costly, and later as director of the National Economic Council. In the Biden administration, Zients played key roles including membership on agency review teams for the Department of Defense, Department of Health and Human Services, and Department of Homeland Security during the 2020 transition. He then served as counselor to the president and White House COVID-19 response coordinator from January 2021 to April 2022, earning praise from President Biden for his management expertise in vaccinating Americans and combating the pandemic. Zients capped his Biden-era service as the 31st White House Chief of Staff from February 2023 to January 2025.