An Egyptian woman will add a little diversity to Trump's administration, which is set to be dominated by white males.
Dina Habib Powell, 43, was born in Cairo, speaks Arabic and will serve as Trump's economic assistant and senior counselor for economic initiatives. In the senior role, Powell will focus on economic growth, the empowerment of women and entrepreneurship, according to CNN.
Trump referred to Powell as a "tremendous talent" and commended her for "a stellar record of public service as well as a great career in the private sector," announcing her appointment in a statement.
Here's a closer look at this powerful woman and her professional history.
Who is Dina Habib Powell?
Powell emigrated from Egypt to Texas with her Coptic Christian family when she was four-years-old. Her father worked as a bus driver and in a convenience store.
In a 2005 interview with the Washington Post, Powell explained that her parents always insisted that she maintain her heritage.
"I always got grape leaves and hummus and falafel, not even in a cool brown paper bag," Powell said, referring to the lunches her mom would pack her as a child. "And now, of course, I appreciate so much that I did."
She attended the University of Texas at Austin, where she began her work in politics through an internship in the state senate. From there, her career took off and she went on to work in the administration of George W. Bush.
Powell worked for the Bush administration
At the age of 29, she became the youngest-ever assistant to the president for presidential personnel. Through this role, she took the lead on the Bush administration's decisions regarding political appointments.
In 2005, Powell was promoted to roles in the U.S. State Department as the assistant secretary of state for Educational and Cultural Affairs and deputy undersecretary of Public Affairs and Public Diplomacy. The Bush administration saw her as a key asset when it came to Middle Eastern issues.
A colleague described her as "an effective spokesperson for us, because she speaks Arabic and is an Arab woman." The colleague said "she can stand up as a role model and as somebody who can defuse some of the misperceptions."
She has also been seen as a champion of empowering women. In conjunction with Fortune magazine, Powell pushed for the creation of the Fortune/US State Department Global Women's Mentoring Partnership. This initiative connected emerging women leaders with the Fortune business community.
Additionally, she has been seen as a leader on initiatives relating to women's economic empowerment in the Middle East and North Africa.
When she left the Bush administration, top colleagues expressed sadness at her departure. Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice particularly commended Powell for her work with Iran.
"She restarted exchanges with Iran in ways that I thought not possible," Rice said.
Powell has been working in the private sector since 2007
Powell joined Goldman Sachs in 2007 as a managing director. She became a partner in 2010 and also serves as the president of the Goldman Sachs Foundation.
She has taken the lead on the company's Impact Investing business and the Environmental Markets Group. Powell helps create market-based opportunities and solutions to drive sustainable economic development and environmental progress, according to her online bio [PDF].
In her role with the company's foundation, Powell oversees 10,000 Women, "a global program offering business education and access to capital to women entrepreneurs," and 10,000 Small Businesses, a program providing "small business owners in the US and UK with business education and access to capital."
As many in the U.S. express concern about the Trump administration's positions towards women and Arabs, Powell will stand as a powerful representative for both groups.
Her background in politics and the private sector demonstrate that she is a competent, influential and powerful leader. Whether or not she affects positive change under Trump's leadership will remain to be see.