Ex-Trump national security adviser joins Zoom board

H.R. McMaster, a former Trump administration national security adviser and retired Army lieutenant general, has joined the board of Zoom, the online conferencing company announced Wednesday.

McMaster, who currently teaches at Stanford University, worked in the White House for just over a year from 2017-2018, though his tenure was marked by reports that he and President Trump did not work well together.

“Zoom does significant good for our society, allowing people to connect and collaborate face-to-face from anywhere. This extraordinary capability is vital now more than ever,” said McMaster. “My goal is to help the company navigate rapid growth and assist in meeting Zoom’s commitment to becoming the world’s most secure video communications platform.” 

Zoom CEO Eric Yuan touted McMaster’s 34-year military career, saying he would bring “invaluable” experience in furthering Zoom’s mission of connecting people worldwide. 

“General McMaster is a welcome addition to our Board. During his decorated military career, he has built an expertise in leading through challenging situations and has demonstrated tremendous strength of character. His leadership will be invaluable as Zoom continues to enable people to connect on a global scale,” said Yuan.

Zoom also announced it is hiring Jonathan Kallmer as its head of global public policy and government relations.

Demand for Zoom’s services has skyrocketed amid the coronavirus pandemic, which has resulted in shuttered business and stay-at-home orders meant to mitigate the spread of the virus.

The company is facing increasing scrutiny over its security practices, however, as users accuse it of overstating its privacy policy, failing to prevent uninvited guests from coming into meetings and a lack of end-to-end encryption.