Richard Ashooh

Rich Ashooh is a Carsey Senior Fellow and the Vice President of Global Government Affairs for Lam Research Corporation, a world leader in the development of advanced semiconductor production equipment. Prior to this, he served as the U.S. Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Export Administration until July 2020. In this role, he was responsible for the U.S. dual-use export control policy, as well as the management of the Department of Commerce’s national security, nonproliferation, foreign policy, and strategic industrial resource functions within the Bureau of Industry and Security. The Assistant Secretary chairs the Advisory Committee on Export Policy, which is a multi-agency tool to resolve security-related export policy matters. In addition, his responsibilities include the Office of Strategic Industries and Economic Security, the Office of Nonproliferation and Treaty Compliance, the Office of National Security and Technology Transfer Controls, the Office of Exporter Services, and the Office of Technology Evaluation. 

For much of his career, Rich was a senior executive in the defense industry, with the electronics group of Lockheed, which was later acquired by BAE Systems. During this time, Rich contributed to the growth of that business from an $800 million company to a nearly $5 billion enterprise and the world leader in electronic warfare. He was instrumental in the success of numerous programs that serve our warfighters. Rich also led the company’s homeland security efforts after 9/11, focusing the company’s technology solutions toward a new range of threats to our nation. He is proud to have contributed to the success of dozens of programs that have protected the lives of countless U.S. and allied military servicemen and women.

Rich’s professional career began in the U.S. Senate, serving for several years as a Professional Staff Member on the U.S. Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs where his primary focus was on federal procurement policies and oversight.  A leader in the higher education community, Rich served on the Board of Trustees for the University System of New Hampshire, Franklin Pierce University in Rindge, as well as the UNH Foundation board. Prior to his nomination, he served as the Director of Economic Partnerships for the University System of New Hampshire, with over 33,000 enrolled students and the largest provider of post-secondary education in the state.  He also served as Interim Executive Director of the Warren B. Rudman Center for Justice, Leadership, and Public Policy at the University of New Hampshire School of Law, a nationally ranked leader in intellectual property law. Rich is a graduate of the University of New Hampshire.