Susie Wiles is an American political consultant and campaign strategist who became the first woman in U.S. history to serve as White House Chief of Staff. She was appointed to the role on January 20, 2025, by United States President Donald Trump, following her leadership as co-chair of his successful 2024 presidential campaign.

Susan Summerall Wiles was born on May 14, 1957, in New Jersey, United States. She is the daughter of Pat Summerall, a former National Football League player who later became a widely known sports broadcaster, and Katherine Jacobs. Raised in a family of three children, Wiles completed her higher education at the University of Maryland.

Wiles began her political career in the late 1970s, working as an aide in the Washington, DC office of Jack Kemp. In 1980, she joined Ronald Reagan’s presidential campaign as a campaign planner and later served in the Reagan administration, holding responsibilities related to White House scheduling and programming.

During the 1990s, Susie Wiles relocated to Florida, where she became deeply involved in state and local politics. In Jacksonville, she served as a political adviser to multiple mayors and worked closely with Tillie Fowler. Between 2004 and 2009, she acted as a senior adviser to Jacksonville Mayor John Peyton, strengthening her reputation as an effective political strategist.

Her national profile rose significantly in 2010, when she played a central role in businessman Rick Scott’s successful campaign for Governor of Florida. Despite Scott’s limited ties to the state’s Republican establishment, the victory was widely attributed to Wiles’s strategic expertise.

In January 2011, Wiles was appointed campaign manager for former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman Jr.’s presidential bid. During this period, she co-founded a Ponte Vedra Beach–based consulting firm with former Jacksonville Jaguars player Tony Boselli. She departed the Huntsman campaign in July 2011.

For nearly a decade, Susie Wiles led the Tallahassee-based lobbying firm Ballard Partners, establishing herself as a major figure in Florida’s political consulting landscape. She stepped down from the firm in 2019, citing health-related reasons.

Wiles played a decisive role in Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign by directing his Florida operations. Trump’s victory in the state was considered a critical factor in his election. In 2018, at Trump’s request, she joined Ron DeSantis’s campaign for Governor of Florida. Although DeSantis initially praised her as “the best in the business,” professional disagreements led to her dismissal in 2019, a decision Wiles later described as the biggest mistake of her career.

In March 2021, Susie Wiles was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Save America PAC, founded by Donald Trump. In this role, she exercised authority over senior campaign figures including Bill Stepien and Justin R. Clark. Under her leadership, the PAC covered legal expenses for numerous current and former Trump aides involved in ongoing investigations.

Throughout the 2022 midterm elections and the 2024 presidential race, Wiles was widely regarded as Donald Trump’s de facto chief of staff. During the 2024 campaign, she served as co-chair alongside Chris LaCivita, presenting herself as a “moderate Republican” and emphasizing discipline and message control within the campaign.

On January 20, 2025, Susie Wiles was formally appointed White House Chief of Staff by Donald Trump, becoming the first woman ever to hold the position. In this capacity, she oversees the president’s daily schedule, interagency coordination, crisis management, and the execution of the administration’s policy agenda. She works closely with the administration’s core leadership team, including Vice President James David Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, senior policy adviser Stephen Miller, and White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt.

In her personal life, Susie Wiles married Republican consultant Lanny Wiles in 1985, and the couple settled in Jacksonville, Florida. Their marriage ended in divorce in 2017. She has two daughters, Katie Wiles and Caroline Wiles. She is a member of the Episcopal Church.

Following Donald Trump’s 2017 inauguration, her daughter Caroline Wiles was appointed Director of Scheduling and Advance in the White House. However, according to reporting by The Washington Post, Caroline Wiles resigned in February 2017 after failing to obtain permanent security clearance.

Known for her low public profile, strict discipline, and crisis-management skills, Susie Wiles is widely regarded within Republican political circles as one of the few advisers Donald Trump consistently listens to and trusts. Her leadership during the 2024 campaign is frequently cited by Trump himself as a key factor in establishing a more professional and controlled campaign structure.

Source: Biyografiler.com