THE WOMEN BEHIND THE WOMAN

The speechwriter

Harvard graduate Sarah Hurwitz has been responsible for Michelle Obama’s pitch-perfect public addresses since 2008, when she moved across from Hillary Clinton’s camp after Barack secured the Democrats’ nomination for President. Of their first meeting, Sarah recalled, ‘She clearly said to me: “OK, this is who I am. This is where I come from. This is my family. These are my values, and this is what I want to talk about at the convention.” I realised then that Michelle Obama knows who she is, and she always knows what she wants to say.’

The stylist

Fashion and wardrobe adviser Meredith Koop has been in situ since 2009. Her style has been lauded as ‘ground-breaking’ and ‘iconic’ – and Meredith has worked hard to ensure that Michelle champions new designers as well as the established. Paying tribute to Meredith, Michelle has said, ‘I am impressed by her professionalism, her attention to detail and her ability to think not only about fashion but also the importance of the moment and the message. She is integral to the overall strategy of my office and is someone I can always depend on.’

The chief of staff

Former lawyer Tina Tchen first joined the Obamas’ team in 2008, taking up her current role as Michelle’s chief of staff in 2011. Widely known to exist on just four hours’ sleep a night (‘I have the good fortune to not need a lot of sleep’), Tina is regarded as a brilliant mind, someone who is driven and highly organised, leading a team of more than 20 White House staffers and also heading up the White House Council on Women and Girls.