Nikki Haley was born Nimrata Randhawa to an immigrant family from India. She studied accounting at Clemson University and continued working at her family's clothing business, where she helped as a teenager. She is married to Michael Haley, an officer in the National Guard.

In 2011, Haley took over as the governor of South Carolina after having served three terms in the state House of Representatives. Haley was the first woman and the first member of an ethnic minority group to be elected as the governor of the state.

During her second term as governor, Haley shot to prominence when she led an effort to remove the Confederate flag from the state Capitol grounds. She had earlier dismissed calls to remove it but changed her mind after a 2015 massacre at a black church in Charleston.

Often referred to as a moderate Republican, Haley was one of the harshest critics of US President Donald Trump during his bid for the White House. She criticized Trump for not speaking out against white supremacists, his stance on immigration and his demeanor. She supported Senator Marco Rubio of Florida during the Republican primaries.

When Trump named her as his to become ambassador to the United Nations, it came as a surprise to many. The two had sparred bitterly in the run up to the presidential election. Some saw it as an olive branch from Trump.

Haley was outspoken and forceful during her brief stint at the UN. She joined her boss in calling out Iran and North Korea on numerous occasions. Under her tenure, the US pulled out of UNESCO and the Human Rights Council. But she did not agree with Trump on some issues, including Russia sanctions and the significance of the world body itself.

Haley, a rising star in the Republican Party, is often mentioned as a possible candidate for the 2020 presidential elections. But she has said she would not be running for the top job in 2020, when Trump plans to run for a second term.