NEW YORK -- President-elect Donald Trump has nominated Linda McMahon to head the Small Business Administration in his Cabinet.
McMahon previously served as CEO of the World Wrestling Entertainment, which is based in Stamford, Connecticut.
In a statement from his transition team, Trump said he tapped McMahon because she "has a tremendous background and is widely recognized as one of the country's top female executives advising businesses around the globe. She helped grow WWE from a modest 13-person operation to a publicly traded global enterprise with more than 800 employees in offices worldwide."
In the statement from the transition team, McMahon is quoted as saying, "Our small businesses are the largest source of job creation in our country. I am honored to join the incredibly impressive economic team that President-elect Trump has assembled to ensure that we promote our country's small businesses and help them grow and thrive."
McMahon ran for Senate in Connecticut twice, but lost to both current Connecticut U.S. senators, Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy.
The former vice chair of the Connecticut Republicans, Catherine Marx, said of the pick, "One of the great aspects of Linda heading up the SBA is that during her Senate campaign she visited over 275 small businesses throughout the state of Connecticut -- small manufacturing businesses, down to daycares. It was a real grassroots outreach and she did more listening than talking and I think that's really important for her to take that information back to Washington."
Her former campaign spokesman, Shawn McCoy, also remembered her apparent ease moving from business to politics.
"I witnessed firsthand how she made a transition from business to politics," McCoy said. "She dove right in, got to know the policies that were really important during her Senate campaign and will be important as administrator at SBA."
He added, "She knows how difficult it is to grow a business and how government regulations can really stifle that growth."
She now advises global businesses with APCO Worldwide's International Advisory Council. She is also a co-founder and CEO of Women's Leadership LIVE LLC., a company that utilities live events and memberships to inspire women to launch their own businesses.
"Linda is going to be a phenomenal leader and champion for small businesses and unleash America's entrepreneurial spirit all across the country," Trump said in the release of his pick.
Trump has been a major supporter -- and participant -- in World Wrestling Entertainment since the late 1980s, when the company held matches at Trump Plaza in Atlantic City.
With reporting by CNN.