MANILA, Philippines – The United States Congress has confirmed the appointment of businessman Lee Lipton as the country’s news ambassador to the Philippines.
Lipton is the first non-career American envoy to be appointed as ambassador to Manila and is a close friend of US President Donald Trump.
In his visit to the Philippine Embassy in Washington, Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose Manuel Romualdez expressed optimism on Lipton’s confirmation.
“I was very pleased to officially meet Amb. Lipton. He definitely has a great personality and fantastic people skills,” Ambassador Romualdez said.
He added that Lipton is looking forward to meeting Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. and to work with Filipinos, which he has high regards.
Lipton is expected to start his tour of duty in Manila in mid-June this year.
During their meeting on Tuesday (Wednesday in Manila), Romualdez and Lipton discussed opportunities to further strengthen bilateral trade and investment, economic engagements, defense and security cooperation, regional collobaration and people-to-people exchanges.
The Philippines and the United States is commemorating 80 years of diplomatic relations this year, as well as the 75th anniversary of the Philippines-United States Mutual Defense Treaty.
Before entering public service, Lipton was a successful businessman in the apparel industry in New York.
According to his biography posted on the US Department of State website, Lipton oversaw the design, manufacturing, marketing, and distribution of licensed collections for globally recognized brands such as Calvin Klein, St. John Knits, and Guess.
After selling his company to a publicly traded firm, he transitioned into the hospitality industry, owning several oceanfront restaurants. His landmark restaurants remain among the highest-volume establishments in Palm Beach County, Florida.
He then served as the Interim Permanent Representative to the United States Mission to the Organization of American States, where he manages staff operations, financial resources, and interagency coordination to advance U.S. foreign policy priorities in the Western Hemisphere.
He holds a bachelor’s degree from Bryant University. He and his wife of 45 years have two sons, according to the State Department website.
