WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The U.S. Chamber of Commerce today announced key hires focusing on tax policy and information technology roles. Watson M. McLeish has joined the Chamber as Senior Vice President, Tax Policy, and Bill Jewell as Chief Information Officer. 

Watson McLeish will further strengthen the Chamber’s mission of advocating for policies that support American businesses, grow the economy, and strengthen communities. 

Watson most recently served as Tax Counsel for the Tax Executives Institute (TEI) in Washington, D.C., the preeminent association of in-house tax professionals worldwide. There, he was responsible for advancing TEI’s advocacy priorities on Capitol Hill and with the Treasury Department’s Office of Tax Policy and Internal Revenue Service. Prior to his time at TEI, Watson worked in the National Tax Department – International Tax Services practice at Ernst & Young LLP where he advised domestic and foreign clients on a wide range of U.S. federal income tax law and policy issues related to international business transactions. Since January 2019, Watson has also served as an Adjunct Professor of Law at the Georgetown University Law Center, where he teaches a graduate-level seminar on tax research and writing. 

“As a big proponent of sound tax policy and administration, I am delighted to join the Chamber’s professional staff during such a pivotal time for the U.S. and international tax systems. I look forward to engaging with Chamber members from across the industry spectrum to develop practical, consensus-based solutions to some of the biggest tax policy challenges facing American businesses today, both at home and abroad,” McLeish said. 

Bill Jewell has joined the U.S. Chamber after serving at The College Board for over a decade, including most recently as Chief Information Security Officer and Vice President of Technology. In that role, Bill built and led an information security program designed to protect the data of over 100 million students, parents, and educators. Bill has deep experience in cyber defense, engineering, data management, and governance.  

As Chief Information Officer at the Chamber, Bill will oversee the Chamber’s technical infrastructure, engineering, cybersecurity, information risk management, and compliance. Bill will also lead the continued modernization of important corporate business systems, and the Chamber’s data and business intelligence strategy and execution.  

“I look forward to working with the Chamber team and building upon the great work that has already been done to provide the technical foundation and digital infrastructure for the Chamber’s next chapter of growth,” Jewell said. “The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is at the forefront of confronting the technology and cybersecurity challenges facing American business. Cybersecurity, information risk management, and many other IT issues are top of mind for the Chamber and its members.” 

Bill received his undergraduate degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Master of Arts degree from Georgetown University. He earned a CISO Certificate from the Heinz College at Carnegie Mellon. Most recently, Bill graduated magna cum laude with a JD from the Georgetown University Law Center. 

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