Donald Trump Announces Linda McMahon as Small Business Administration Chief
The President-elect of the United States, Donald Trump, announced the appointment of Linda McMahon, a professional wrestling entrepreneur, as the director of the Small Business Administration (SBA), a ministerial-level position in the federal government.
McMahon, 68, is the co-founder of the successful wrestling company World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and donated $6 million to a pro-Republican candidate support group during the electoral campaign.
"Linda has an incredible track record and is widely recognized as one of the top female executives in the country who advises companies worldwide," Trump said in a statement.
The President emphasized how McMahon "helped grow WWE from a modest operation to a global publicly-traded company with over 800 employees and offices worldwide."
Currently, WWE has annual revenues of $600 million through television licenses, marketing, ticket sales, and other sources.
In 2010, the designated SBA director unsuccessfully ran for a Senate seat representing the state of Connecticut.
McMahon, on her part, expressed being "honored to join the incredible and impressive economic team created by President-elect Trump to ensure we promote small businesses in this country and help them grow and thrive."
The SBA, which has offices in all states of the US, has an annual budget of $710 million and 3,200 employees, with the objective of promoting and facilitating the work of small businesses in the United States.
During the government of President Barack Obama, who elevated the agency to ministerial level, it was led by Latina of Mexican origin María Contreras-Sweet.
McMahon Made Waves in Wrestling
During a 2005 show of the wrestling company, the now director of the Small Business Administration kicked Jim Ross, former CEO of Raw, in the testicles.