Alexandre Herault
| Alexandre Herault | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Presidential Chief of Staff | |
| Assumed office January 6, 2018 | |
| President | Liu Mei-han |
| Deputy | Esther Mei |
| Preceded by | Xie Mingli |
| Deputy Executive Director of the New Democratic Alliance | |
| Assumed office November 18, 2017 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | February 8, 1983 Garnier, Harcour, Laeral |
| Nationality | Laeralian |
| Political party | New Democratic Alliance (Laeral) |
| Height | 5 ft 9 in (175 cm) |
| Mother | Jeanne Herault |
| Father | Samuel Herault |
| Alma mater | Laeralian College of Political Studies (BA); Jean-Philippe Salaun National Open University (MA) |
| Occupation | Political Advisor |
Alexandre Thomas Herault (born February 8, 1983) is a Laeralian non-profit analyst and political advisor currently serving as Chief of Staff to President Liu Mei-han. A founding member of the New Democratic Alliance party, Herault had previously served as campaign manager for Liu's successful 2018 presidential campaign.
The youngest presidential chief of staff on record, Herault has been criticized for alleged blunders during the extended government-formation process following Liu's election. He is reportedly a close confidante of President Liu; their relationship dates to his time as a graduate student conducting research under Liu at Jean-Philippe Salaun National Open University.
Early Life and Education
Herault was born in Garnier, Laeral to Samuel Herault, a literature professor at Réne Gramont National Open University, and Jeanne Herault, a part-time seamstress. He graduated from South Garnier High School in 2000, where he had been the captain of the school's Academic Quiz team, which was runner-up in the province-wide competition in 1999.
He majored in International Affairs and Statistics and Data Science at the Laeralsford College of Political Studies, graduating in 2004 on the Chancellor's List. He had also interned in the Laeralsford office of Rep. Meng Guiren, a Progressive, for a semester. Herault attended Jean-Philippe Salaun National Open University from 2004 to 2006, where he researched under Dr. Liu Mei-han and obtained a master's degree in Human Rights.
Career
Foreign Affairs and Diplomacy Council
From 2006 to 2011, Herault worked for the Laeralsford-based think tank, the Foreign Affairs and Diplomacy Council, where he worked on the "Visions Project on Laeralian Diplomacy", which aimed to add new innovations to the development of Laeralian foreign policy.
Campaign Work
From 2010 to 2016, Herault worked as co-founder of the data analytic firm Goldenrod Strategies, which provided data-driven campaign insights to political campaigns for various left-wing political candidates.
Staff of Liu Mei-han
When Liu Mei-han, formerly governor of Neidong from 2012-2016, was named as Laeral's inaugural Ambassador to the World Assembly by President Nicholas Brennan in 2016, she offered a position as Chief Speechwriter to Herault, who accepted. He served in this capacity until Liu's resignation in 2017 to form the New Democratic Alliance. As one of only a handful of Liu's staff to remain with her as she formed the New Democratic Alliance (alongside Esther Mei, Aurelie Zhao, and William Debray), Herault was one of the original founders of the party and became Deputy Executive Officer under Liu herself.
Campaign Manager
As campaign manager for Liu Mei-han's unexpectedly successful 2018 presidential bid, Herault was hailed as a rising star in the Laeralian political field, being named one of Les Couloirs's Laeralsford Power Brokers in 2019 and 2020. He championed a novel strategy focused on near-unprecedented levels of grassroots volunteer engagement, which, coupled with Liu's strong debate performance and a scandal which embroiled red bloc frontrunner Tanvi Misra, led Liu Mei-han to triumph in the second round of the election against Damien Vendorme.
Chief of Staff
Personal Life
Herault is an avid handball player. He is unmarried.