Jeffrey Zients wasn't an IT pro when he was called in 2013 to rescue bug-plagued healthcare.gov website, a cornerstone of Obama's healthcare reforms, after a disastrous start.

And Zients wasn't a scientist when he became Joe Biden's Corona coordinator in 2021.

But his great strength, observers and companions agree, is the ability to tackle and get things done in the midst of chaos.

America's former chief immunologist Anthony Fauci once said he's worked with many in Washington, but Zients is a "real star."

Sofia Dreisbach

North American political correspondent based in Washington.

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As Biden's new chief of staff in the White House, the 56-year-old Zients should be able to prove again from February how well he can handle difficult tasks.

He will likely lead Biden through a second presidential campaign.

Zients was born in Washington DC and grew up in the neighboring state of Maryland.

He studied political science at Duke University.

But it was quite late for him to enter politics.

First he became a multi-millionaire in the private sector.

In 2002, at the age of 35, Zients made the Forbes list of the 40 richest Americans under the age of 40 with a fortune of $149 million.

At that time, the consulting firm he headed had just gone public.

Zients took his consulting experience to the White House for the first time in 2009: At that time he became Barack Obama's first "Chief Performance Officer" and was tasked with making the government more efficient and less expensive.

He later served as director of the government's Budget Office, and eventually as director of the National Economic Council under Obama from 2014 to 2017.

His financial expertise is likely to be another reason for his appointment as the new chief of staff in the looming dispute with the Republicans over the debt ceiling and the budget.

Companions say of Zients that he is stubborn but friendly at the same time - an unusual combination.

His mother once put it this way: Her son has a lot of sense but is also compassionate.

Together with his wife Mary Menell, with whom Zients has four children, he founded a non-profit organization that enables economically disadvantaged young people to do paid internships.

Zients does not use loud sounds in public communication.

He doesn't tweet and is therefore not a well-known face in public, although he has influence in the White House.

The president himself said when Zients left as Corona coordinator that there was "no one who delivers better results than Jeff".