NPR Appoints Katherine Maher as President and CEO

RADIO ONLINE | Wednesday, January 24, 2024 | 12:03pm CT

Katherine Maher

NPR's board of directors have selected Katherine Maher to become its next President and CEO. Maher is currently the CEO of Web Summit and serves on its board of directors. Prior to Web Summit, Maher was CEO of the Wikimedia Foundation, responsible for the success of Wikipedia fund raising projects. She'll begin her term at NPR on March 25 and will succeed John Lansing, who has been Chief Executive Officer and President since 2019.

"We are delighted to welcome Katherine Maher to lead NPR into its next chapter," said NPR board Chair Jennifer Ferro. "The board searched for a leader with the ability to reach audiences on new and existing platforms and leverage the network of local organizations that are providing high quality, relevant content to 99% of the country. Katherine is an extraordinary leader who has tackled the issues around reliable and accessible information for all."

Maher added, "NPR has been a lifelong part of my soundscape, expanding my worldview and stoking my curiosity. NPR inspired in me an appreciation for the power of civic institutions and a commitment to free inquiry and information. As NPR's mission of informing America continues to grow more essential; so too does our need to reinvent and reimagine ourselves in step with our ever-changing world. I am tremendously excited to take on this challenge and join NPR as a steward of our mission and founding values of news, curiosity, and culture for a diverse, robust public trust."