Following key leadership roles in organizations including NPR, NBC News, and Twitter, Vivian Schiller will join the Aspen Institute in 2020
Contact: Jon Purves
Senior Media Relations Manager
The Aspen Institute
Jon.Purves@aspeninstitute.org | 202 736-2111
Washington, DC, December 9, 2019 – Following a national search, the Aspen Institute announced today that longtime media leader Vivian Schiller has been selected to fill a new role leading newly combined media and technology programs. She will join the program in early 2020.
The new role brings together under one banner the three primary Institute policy programs focused on how technology is reshaping societies — the Communication & Society program, the Cybersecurity & Technology program, and the Center for Urban Innovation.
“Vivian has spent her career in leadership positions at the intersection of journalism, media and technology, helping ensure that public has access to reliable, high quality information. I am excited that three highly respected programs at the Institute are now uniting their efforts with Vivian’s experience and talent to pursue an internet and media landscape that is a positive force for our democracy and society,” said Dan Porterfield, the President and CEO of the Aspen Institute.
Vivian is an award-winning journalist and accomplished media leader and thinker—from roles at CNN and the New York Times to leading NPR as CEO from 2009-2011 and serving as NBC News’s chief digital officer from 2011-2013, as well as time at Twitter leading its global news effort. Most recently, she headed the Civil Foundation. Today, among her many roles, she sits on the board of the Scott Trust, which owns The Guardian, as well as a variety of other boards and advisory councils in journalism and information security.
“Much of my work in recent years has focused on the rise of technology and its impact on the information needs of citizens, and I’m excited to elevate and advance those themes as well as address broader questions about cybersecurity, innovation, and smart cities,” Vivian said. “As an active participant in Aspen Institute programming over the years, including its Communication & Society roundtables and speaking at the Aspen Ideas Festival, I know how unique and important Aspen’s role is in bringing together disparate voices to work on the most important issues of our time.”
The combined Aspen program Vivian will lead includes the Communications & Society Program, which runs the Artificial Intelligence, telecommunications and spectrum roundtables, the Aspen Cybersecurity Group, the Aspen Tech Policy Hub, and the Center for Urban Innovation’s work on “smart cities,” as well as high-profile public events including the Aspen Cyber Summit.
“Vivian’s leadership, expertise, and vision align perfectly with the ambitions of these combined programs, and the Aspen Institute’s history of thoughtful action and substantial impact.” says Elliot Gerson, Executive Vice President of Policy and Public Programs.
The Aspen Institute is a global nonprofit organization committed to realizing a free, just, and equitable society. Founded in 1949, the Institute drives change through dialogue, leadership, and action to help solve the most important challenges facing the United States and the world. Headquartered in Washington, DC, the Institute has a campus in Aspen, Colorado, and an international network of partners.
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