The Secretary of State is head of the U.S. Department of State
The Secretary of State is concerned with foreign policy and is considered to be the U.S. government’s equivalent of a Minister for Foreign Affairs.
The Secretary of State is nominated by the President of the United States and is confirmed by the United States Senate. The Secretary of State, along with the Secretary of the Treasury, Secretary of Defense, and Attorney General are regarded as the four most important Cabinet members because of the importance of their departments.
The current Secretary of State is 2004 presidential nominee and former Massachusetts Senator John Kerry. He is the 68th person to hold the office since its creation by Congress in July 1789. ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson has been nominated by President-elect Donald Trump to become the 69th Secretary of State.
Source: Wikipedia
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