FACTBOX: Obama's Cabinet begins to take shape

(Reuters) - U.S. President-elect Barack Obama formally nominated Timothy Geithner on Monday as his Treasury secretary and Lawrence Summers to head the National Economic Council, filling two of the most closely watched jobs in his administration.

Here are people Obama has chosen or is considering for key posts. Many remain subject to vetting and Senate confirmation before taking office.

TREASURY SECRETARY

* Timothy Geithner, president of the New York Federal Reserve Bank, is Obama's choice for the Treasury Department, making him Obama's point person in dealing with the economic crisis.

Geithner has helped to lead efforts to stabilize financial markets and argued that banks crucial to the global financial system should operate under a unified regulatory framework.

Geithner's appointment was confirmed by transition officials over the weekend and made official on Monday by Obama, who said he would bring "an unparalleled understanding of our current economic crisis" to the job.

NATIONAL ECONOMIC COUNCIL

* Lawrence Summers, 53, was Treasury secretary for the final 1-1/2 years of the Clinton administration and has been a senior adviser to Obama for several months, helping to guide his response to the financial meltdown.

The intense and blunt-spoken Summers became a full professor at Harvard at 28 and was later president of the university, where his abrasive style made many enemies and he resigned in 2006. He had been seen as Geithner's main competition for the job of Treasury chief.

Summers nomination was officially announced on Monday. He is also under consideration as a possible replacement for Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke when his term ends in 2010.

SECRETARY OF STATE

* New York Sen. Hillary Clinton, Obama's former rival for the White House, is said to have accepted the post of secretary of state, the New York Times reported. A senior Clinton adviser said the report was premature, but added that discussions with the Obama White House were "on track."

Clinton has a global profile both as a political leader in her own right and as the wife of former U.S. President Bill Clinton. Policy analysts say her selection could mean a more hawkish U.S. stance, noting that she was more reluctant than Obama to commit to a firm timetable for withdrawing U.S. troops from Iraq.

Clinton's appointment is expected to be made official after the November 27 Thanksgiving holiday.

COMMERCE SECRETARY

* New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, a former United Nations ambassador and energy secretary during President Bill Clinton's administration, had been an early supporter of Obama after dropping his own presidential ambitions.