Outgoing eBay CEO Meg Whitman has wasted little time figuring out what she might do after eBay: she’ll be working as co-chair of John McCain’s U.S. presidential campaign. McCain is the presumptive nominee of the Republican party, having won enough delegates during primary elections to secure his party’s nomination.
“I’m honored that Senator McCain has asked me to become a part of his campaign,” Whitman said in a statement. “America needs John McCain’s courageous leadership. His unshakable commitment to lower taxes, strong trade, and innovation sets the right course for America’s economy and future prosperity.”
Whitman previously backed Republican candidate Mitt Romney of Massachusetts, who withdrew from the presidential race on February 7.
According to the McCain campaign, Whitman will act as a “powerful surrogate” for McCain himself, traveling throughout the United States on his behalf and working with the campaign on financing and policy development. Political insiders are, of course, already speculating that if McCain should be elected president, Whitman might be a logical choice for a high-profile Washington post or even a cabinet position.
Whitman joined ebay in 1998 and turned what was then a 30-person startup company into a Fortune 500-listed ecommerce giant with more than $8 billion in revenue. Last January, Whitman announced she would retire as CEO on March 31 to spend more time on politics and philanthropy.
