Barzun, Matthew Winthrop, 1970-

<p>Matthew W. Barzun was sworn in as U.S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland on August 15, 2013. He was selected by President Barack Obama as National Finance Chair for the president's 2012 re-election campaign. He previously served as U.S. Ambassador to Sweden from 2009 to 2011. Ambassador Barzun is an internet pioneer who was the fourth employee at CNET Networks, where he worked from 1993-2004. Ambassador Barzun served in a number of roles at CNET, including Executive Vice President, Chief Strategy officer, and member of the executive committee.</p>

<p>During his time there, he launched Download.Com, which grew to become CNET's biggest site and he led the effort to build one of the first comparison shopping sites on the Internet, Shopper.Com. He went on to co-lead all of CNET's online properties including CNET.Com and News.Com.</p>

<p>After leaving CNET in 2004, Ambassador Barzun has advised and invested in start-up internet companies, including MedTrackAlert, which delivered consumers information about their prescription medications (it was sold to HealthCentral in June 2008), and JiWire, an advertising network for wireless devices.</p>

<p>Ambassador Barzun was among the first to join Barack Obama's National Finance Committee before the President's election in 2008. In that capacity, he produced the first $25 per-person fundraiser and helped teach Obama University for campaign volunteers.</p>

<p>In Kentucky, Ambassador Barzun has served on the boards of many non-profits with a focus on education (the Louisville Free Public Library Foundation, Louisville Public Media, and Teach Kentucky); public policy (the Kentucky Long Term Policy Research Center, and The Greater Louisville Project) and interfaith relations (Center for Interfaith Relations).</p>

<p>He graduated Magna Cum Laude with an A.B. in History and Literature from Harvard College.</p>

<p>Matthew Winthrop Barzun (born October 23, 1970) is a former United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom. He is a business executive who is known for his work with CNET Networks and for his fundraising work on Barack Obama's 2008 presidential campaign. He served as U.S. Ambassador to Sweden from 2009 to 2011. He was selected by President Barack Obama as National Finance Chair for the president's 2012 re-election campaign.</p>

<p>Barzun was born in New York City. He grew up in Lincoln, Massachusetts and attended St. Paul's School, Concord, New Hampshire. He received his Bachelor of Arts in history and literature magna cum laude from Harvard College in 1993. In his testimony to the Senate during his confirmation vetting, Barzun noted that he had served as a summer intern to Massachusetts Senator John Kerry in 1989. After graduating from Harvard College, he began working with CNET Networks.</p>

<p>In <i>The Audacity to Win</i>, author and political strategist David Plouffe describes Matthew Barzun's grassroots campaign idea as "citizen fundraisers" that drove Obama's connection with supporters.</p>

<p>The Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, chaired by Senator John Kerry, approved Barzun's nomination as Ambassador to Sweden during the week of August 3, 2009, and the nomination was confirmed on August 7. Barzun was sworn in as U.S. Ambassador to the Kingdom of Sweden on August 12, 2009, and presented his credentials to King Carl XVI Gustaf on August 21, 2009. Barzun prioritized outreach and personal engagement, launching the U.S. Embassy Road Show that brings embassy personnel, resources, and exhibits out of Stockholm to smaller cities and towns. In partnership with the Swedish government, he also created the Swedish American Green Alliance where Swedes and Americans share news and ideas toward a clean energy future.</p>

<p>President Obama nominated Barzun to be the United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom in 2013. The Senate confirmed him by unanimous consent on August 1, 2013. He presented his credentials to Queen Elizabeth II on November 27, 2013. Barzun set up the Young Leaders UK (YLUK) programme whilst in office, which allowed him to communicate and speak with young people from across the United Kingdom. YLUK met with President Obama during his visit to the UK in 2016. Barzun was selected by the U.S. Department of State as the winner of the 2016 Sue M. Cobb Award for Exemplary Diplomatic Service for "his passion and commitment during his tenure in London by promoting American values and ideals, and his dedication to developing the next generation of career Foreign Service Officers."</p>

<p>In January 2017, Barzun announced that he was to leave as Ambassador before Donald Trump took office. Barzun left the UK on 18 January 2017, moving back to Kentucky. The then Deputy Chief of Mission, Lewis Lukens, then succeeded Barzun as Chargé d'affaires pending the appointment of a new ambassador. Upon his return to the United States, he received the Marshall Medal from the Marshall Aid Commemoration Commission created by the British Parliament for his dedication to strengthening U.S. and British relations.</p>