Biden has appointed Penny Pritzker as Special Representative for Ukraine’s Economic Recovery
What do the village of Velyki Pritsky in the Kyiv region and the Hyatt hotel chain have in common?
In the late twentieth century, Yakov Pritzker was the manager of the local sugar factory in Velyki Pritsky. Later he immigrated with his family to the USA, where he made sure that his children received a good education.
In 1957, his great-grandson Jay bought an unprofitable hotel near the Los Angeles airport from an owner named Hyatt Robert von Dehn. Hyatt remained in the name of this hotel and appeared on the facades of more than 900 hotels, operating today in 65 countries around the world, including Ukraine. Originally from the village of Velyki Pritsky, the family of Pritzker is one of the wealthiest families in the United States. Its assets are estimated at $35 billion.
Recently appointed by Joe Biden as the U.S. Special Representative for Ukraine’s Economic Recovery, Penny Pritzker knows perfectly well both the Ukrainian economy and the history of her family. In 2015, she visited her great-great-grandfather’s homeland. I met with Ms. Pritzker, Secretary of Commerce in Barack Obama’s cabinet then, in Kyiv to discuss the prospects for U.S. investments. A year later, Penny Pritzker also participated in the events commemorating the 75th anniversary of the Babyn Yar tragedy.
The appointment of Penny Pritzker is a landmark event. Joining the team of the US President by such a large-scale and influential figure in the global investment world, who also has successful experience in public office, clearly indicates that the issues of Ukrainian economic recovery are in the zone of priority interests not only of the US government, but also of big business.
In addition to attracting American investments, Penny Pritzker’s task will be to coordinate with Ukraine’s numerous partners. Thus there will be enough work for everyone.
