SerpApi.Org
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani tapped former Biden-era Federal Trade Commission Chairwoman Lina Khan as the next board chairwoman of the city's Economic Development Corporation on Wednesday.
Mamdani's appointment of the staunch antitrust advocate represents a significant leadership change for the corporation overseeing economic growth in New York City's business community. In a city that has long been a bastion of capitalist economic growth and financial markets, Khan's sea-change appointment to the EDC's board of directors comes as Mamdani also tapped the Wall Street-favored Tony Shorris of McKinsey & Company as the EDC's President and CEO.
Khan served as the youngest FTC chair in the country's history from June 2021 through January 2025. Under her leadership, the agency crusaded against Big Tech and business monopolies with lawsuits against giants like Amazon and PepsiCo. Though it drew her support from some populists and Mamdani's left-wing base, her reign at the FTC drew backlash from pro-business and anti-regulatory activists and conservatives.
In his announcement of Khan's appointment, Mamdani cast her as a leader who will bring the EDC into a "new era."
"Lina Khan has fought exploitation and dishonesty in courtrooms and classrooms across the country, and given us the blueprint for a government that delivers for working people," Mamdani said. "As Chair of the EDC Board of Directors, I know that Lina will not only steer our administration's economic development efforts toward a new era of opportunity, but ensure justice is the driving principle behind all of our work."
Khan said she plans to use her role on the board to make New York City more affordable for its residents.
"EDC has a vital role to play in ensuring that New York's economy is growing in ways that make our city more affordable, efficient and resilient," Khan said in a statement. "I look forward to working with the administration to advance this vision and make life materially better for New Yorkers."
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Mamdani boosted Shorris as a "proven leader," touting his business-world leadership experience.
Khan will be replacing Margaret Anadu, an investor who founded the consulting firm One Weaver, as board chair.
