Alexandre Herault
| Alexandre Herault | |
|---|---|
 Alexandre Herault speaking with the media during Liu Mei-han's 2018 presidential campaign. | |
| Chief of Staff to the President of Laeral | |
| 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 and campaign manager for Liu's 2022 presidential campaign. 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[edit | edit source]
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 International Security.
Career[edit | edit source]
Foreign Affairs and Diplomacy Council[edit | edit source]
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[edit | edit source]
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[edit | edit source]
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.
2018 Campaign Manager[edit | edit source]
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[edit | edit source]
Herault's transition from campaign manager to chief of staff following Liu Mei-han's inauguration was described as "rocky" by Les Couloirs, with the magazine's editor-in-chief writing that "the fresh-faced Herault has displayed teething struggles in his new role, as his sudden reversals and lack of fluency while speaking on the president's behalf have hobbled his ability to make friends among Laeralsford power brokers." Despite a lengthy government-formation process before Nicolas Martin was elected as prime minister, Herault later won praise from commentators for an apparent growing mastery in parliamentary relations as President Liu worked to enact her agenda.
Herault was closely involved with the brokering of the 2021 Jinyu Peace Agreement which resolved the Second Xiomeran Civil War. While it was widely expected that Herault, a close confidant of Liu's, would be named campaign manager for the president's 2022 reelection campaign, it was speculated that Deputy Chief of Staff Esther Mei would be named Chief of Staff during the campaign. Instead, on August 29th, 2022, it was announced that Herault would concurrently serve as Chief of Staff and Campaign Manager, with Caterina Guo as his campaign deputy and Esther Mei retaining her position as Deputy Chief of Staff.