Pressman is the former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations for special political affairs, a role in which he "led U.S. negotiations on a range of threats to international peace and security, with a particular focus on issues involving Europe, Russia, East Asia and the Pacific, and Africa," the White House said.

Earlier, Pressman served as Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security, at the White House as Director for War Crimes and Atrocities on the National Security Council, and at the Department of State as an aide to Secretary of State Madeleine Albright.

Pressman is currently a partner at the law firm of Jenner and Block, where he represents clients in national security and human rights-related litigation.

The previous U.S. Ambassador to Hungary, David Cornstein, hand-picked for the post by former President Donald Trump, stepped down days ahead of the 2020 U.S. election. Since then, the embassy in Budapest has been run by Chargé d'Affaires Marc Dillard.