When they emigrated from ­Nigeria, Adewale "Wally" Adeyemo’s parents—a nurse and an elementary-school ­principal—could scarcely have imagined that their young son would quickly grow to become one of the U.S.’s top economic policy­makers. Having previously worked in the Obama White House, the Treasury Department, and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Adeyemo serves today as Deputy Treasury Secretary—the first  Black American to hold the job.

Adeyemo’s fortitude in helping drive our economic response to Russia’s war in Ukraine earned him the distinction of being sanctioned and blacklisted by Vladimir Putin. At home, though, he is admired by unusual bedfellows across the political spectrum. His champions span sometimes hostile factions across the Democratic Party, and he was confirmed by the Senate with broad bipartisan support. Wally has a refreshing knack for cutting through division, building trust. And his path-breaking career is still just beginning.