Who is Susie Wiles, Donald Trump's next chief of staff?

In his first presidential term, Mr Trump ran through four chiefs of staff

President-elect Donald Trump's next chief of staff Susie Wiles, pictured at a rally on Monday, the eve of the election. Reuters

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President-elect Donald Trump has announced that Susie Wiles, one of his two campaign managers, will be his White House chief of staff, entrusting a senior position to a political operative who helped the Republican candidate win election.

The appointment was the first of what is expected to be a flurry of staffing announcements as Mr Trump prepares for a return to the White House on January 20.

“Susie is tough, smart, innovative and is universally admired and respected,” Mr Trump said in a statement. “I have no doubt that she will make our country proud.”

The chief of staff typically wields great influence in an administration, controlling a president's time and schedule. Ms Wiles, 67, will be the first woman to serve as White House chief of staff.

Several people who have worked with Ms Wiles told Reuters that she would provide stability and good counsel to Mr Trump.

The mercurial Mr Trump ran through four chiefs of staff during his 2017-2021 term as they struggled to rein in the undisciplined president.

“Susie is a strong woman and a true leader with a proven track record of getting things done,” said Republican strategist Ford O'Connell.

Mr Trump has been ensconced at his Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida, since defeating Democrat Kamala Harris in Tuesday's election.

He is considering a wide array of people for top jobs in his administration, many of them familiar figures from his 2017-2021 presidency, four sources told Reuters.

Ms Wiles previously worked on Ronald Reagan's 1980 presidential campaign and helped Florida's Republican Governor Ron DeSantis win election in 2018. She served as a senior adviser on Mr Trump's 2016 and 2020 bids.