Tom Nides, the former U.S. ambassador to Israel and banker, is joining Blackstone as vice chairman for client relations and strategy, the New York private equity firm announced on Monday.

“Tom has operated at the highest levels of both the public and private sectors and brings a wealth of relationships across the financial, government and geographic spectrum,” said Stephen Schwartzman, Blackstone’s chief executive, in a statement. “We are still in the early innings of our global expansion and believe he will be a tremendous asset to our people and clients.”

Before joining Blackstone, Nides, 62, had briefly served as vice chairman at Wells Fargo, a position he left shortly after Hamas Oct. 7 terror attacks in Israel, citing “an obligation to turn” his attention “back to the region” and “to help find solutions for the people living there.”

The banker-turned-diplomat served as President Joe Biden’s ambassador to Israel from Dec. 2021 until last summer, when he stepped down from the role to spend more time with his family, he said at the time. Nides is married to Virginia Moseley, who earlier this month was named CNN’s first executive editor.

Prior to his ambassadorial post, Nides held top positions at Morgan Stanley and in the Obama administration, serving as deputy secretary of state for management and resources.

In a statement on Monday, Nides said he was “excited to join” Blackstone’s “high-caliber team to help support the firm’s continued growth.”

“Blackstone’s world-class people, consistent outperformance and high-integrity culture,” he added, “have contributed to its stature as a leading global investment platform with considerable wind at its back.”