American of Serbian origin, John Jovanović, was sworn in as the head of the Export-Import Bank (EXIM bank) before US Vice President JD Vance.
Jovanović was appointed to the highest position of head of this federal US state bank by Donald Trump.
The role of the bank, founded by Roosevelt in 1934, is to help companies export goods and services, provide loans, guarantees, and insurance to foreign buyers of American products, and to support American jobs and competitiveness in the global market. In addition to managing the bank’s work, Jovanović will represent the bank before Congress, the US Government, and international partners.
“John will use his vast experience in finance, investments, and business development to make America dominant in energy and industry again,” Trump said in the official announcement.
Who is John Jovanović
When the news was published, Trump once stated that Jovanović has a master’s degree in business from the same faculty he attended, Wharton at the University of Pennsylvania, and a degree in political science from Princeton.
He led the Office of Strategic Initiatives at Asplundh, which encompasses all growth, efficiency, and digital innovation projects. He was responsible for the implementation of the Washington Agreements on economic normalization between Kosovo and Serbia. He was also the Director of Investments at Mercuria Energy Group Ltd., where he managed investments and business development in the energy sector across North and South America. He was also a member of the Board of Directors of Pin Oak Holdings. During Trump’s previous mandate, Jovanović headed the state-owned Development Finance Corporation (DFC).
Jovanović (34) grew up in Chicago, and since 2010 he has been married to the host Daphne Oz, daughter of the famous doctor Mehmet Oz.
In an interview for Nedeljnik, he said that his children “will have the surname Jovanović, not Johnson,” that they will speak the Serbian language and be proud of their roots.
“My children’s last name is Jovanović, not Johnson. And one day someone will ask them about their origin. I would like them to say that they are from Serbia, from the Balkans, from a father of Serbian origin and a mother of Turkish origin. And that they can say how great that region is, that people there work and prosper, building great companies and technologies. That they have peace and stability,” Jovanović said.
As an important moment in his career, Jovanović specifically highlighted his mediation between President Donald Trump, Kosovo, and Serbia in the implementation of the Washington Agreement before the Senate Committee.
“I built a career in financing, investing, and business development in the energy, critical infrastructure, mining, and manufacturing sectors. During my previous work in civil service, I was a director and regional head at DFC, where I worked to mobilize American financial alternatives in order to counter China and Russia. I was also in charge of implementing the Washington Agreements mediated by President Trump between Kosovo and Serbia, coordinating the economic cooperation of the entire US administration, including EXIM and DFC,” John Jovanović said before the Senate Committee.
HE SPECIFICALLY SPOKE ABOUT HIS ORIGIN
Jovanović once emphasized his origin before the Senate Committee, as his family from Southeast Europe, i.e., from the former SFR Yugoslavia, legally emigrated to America after the Second World War.
“I would not be sitting here today if it were not for the stable and well-paid jobs in industrial production that were once available across America. After surviving the horrors of the Second World War and experiencing economic hardship and repression under communism in Southeast Europe, my family legally emigrated to America, starting life anew while my parents were still young,” Jovanović said.
Jovanović also said that the Export-Import Bank can be important when it comes to renewing the American economy.
“I am convinced that, with your support and God’s help, the Export-Import Bank can be an important instrument in implementing President Trump’s vision of renewing the American economy and creating and preserving the jobs of the future across our great country – especially in small businesses in the communities that need help most. We can help our country regain control over the most important supply chains and ensure that America always has access to everything it needs, when it needs it most,” John Jovanović said before the US Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
MORE TOPICS:
WITHOUT MOBILE PHONE EVEN DURING BREAKS: Serbia bans the use of phones in schools, bill is ready!
Source: Nedeljnik; Photo: Nedeljnik