Goldman Sachs Group Inc.'s Gary Cohn, once the heir apparent to Chief Executive Officer Lloyd Blankfein, is the top candidate to become President-elect Donald Trump's chief economic policy advisor, people familiar with the decision said.
Cohn, who spent more than 25 years at the investment bank, is being considered by Trump to head the National Economic Council, among the most influential panels inside the White House, helping to coordinate and develop the president's economic program. The move would strengthen the Wall Street firm's influence in Washington while clearing the way for its next generation of leaders.
Cohn didn't immediately respond to phone and e-mail messages seeking comment. Jake Siewert, a Goldman Sachs spokesman, declined to comment.
Cohn, 56, would be the third and most senior Goldman Sachs alumnus to take a prominent role in the incoming administration, despite the president-elect's fierce criticism of Wall Street and the bank in particular on the campaign trail.
