Tom Donohue, former longtime Chamber CEO, dies

Tom Donohue, who led the U.S. Chamber of Commerce for more than two decades before retiring in 2021, has died, the business lobbying giant announced Monday.

The Chamber represents big business in Washington, spending more money than anyone else on federal lobbying and operating out of an ornate building opposite the White House. 

When Donohue took over the Chamber in 1997 after 13 years at the American Trucking Association, he became the face and voice of the organization at a pivotal time for big business, steering the organization through high-profile policy battles.

“It is no exaggeration to say he resurrected the Chamber, taking the institution from good to great and from productive to powerful — and standing up for business from the nation’s capital to every corner of the globe,” the Chamber said in a statement.

The former CEO always acted with “high energy and absolute integrity,” the Chamber said.

Scandal preceded Donohue’s departure from the Chamber, however, as he announced he would be stepping down in 2019 just before The Wall Street Journal published an article alleging he used corporate jets provided by the Chamber for professional and personal use.

Donohue handed the presidency to his protégé, Suzanne P. Clark, but remained CEO until he retired in 2021, when Clark ultimately succeeded him.

Even after Donohue retired, he remained active with the Chamber as an adviser and member of its board of directors. He also served on the boards of the Hudson Institute, the Center for International Private Enterprise and Marymount University, according to the Chamber.

Clark said Donohue was a “phone-a-friend” for those who needed a connection or advice.

“The country lost a great patriot. The business community lost a powerful champion. And I lost my mentor and one of my best friends,” Clark said.

Jay Timmons, president and CEO of the National Association of Manufacturers, called Donohue a “mentor” who “lent a hand before you’d even have a chance to ask.”

“As he did for other association executives finding their footing, he invited me to lunch when I began my role. We sat down, and he laid out a game plan. He did that for so many because he believed that the business community is strongest when we all are at our best,” Timmons said in a statement.

Updated at 4:54 p.m. ET