Beginning eight years ago, the Obama administration embraced a fresh approach to leveraging technology platforms and improved the experience of interacting with government. While leading the White House’s digital technology team, I witnessed the impact of private-sector principles and ideas becoming embedded in government. It was a push to close the digital experience gap between the private and public sectors. 

The selection of António Guterres — Portugal’s popular and widely respected former Prime Minister — as the new secretary general of the United Nations is a bold choice for world’s largest international organization, an historic milestone for the people of Portugal, and an unprecedented opportunity to enhance Portugal as a brand at a critical time for the nation.