History of Katherine Maher in Timeline

Katherine Maher is an American non-profit executive. She is currently the CEO and president of NPR, starting in March 2024. Previously, she served as CEO of Web Summit and chair of the board of directors at the Signal Foundation. She is best known for her role as the former CEO and executive director of the Wikimedia Foundation, where she led efforts to promote free knowledge and open access to information globally.

Sections (2)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements

April 18, 1983: Katherine Maher's birth

On April 18, 1983, Katherine Roberts Maher was born.

Others born on this day/year

2003: Graduation from the Arabic Language Institute

In 2003, Katherine Maher graduated from the Arabic Language Institute's Arabic Language Intensive Program of The American University in Cairo.

2005: Received bachelor's degree from New York University

In 2005, Katherine Maher received a bachelor's degree from New York University in Middle Eastern and Islamic studies.

2007: Joined UNICEF

In 2007, Katherine Maher started working at UNICEF in New York City as an innovation and communication officer.

2010: Joined the National Democratic Institute

In 2010, Katherine Maher began working at the National Democratic Institute as an ICT program officer.

2010: Left UNICEF

In 2010, Katherine Maher concluded her role at UNICEF.

2011: Joined the World Bank

In 2011, Katherine Maher started working at the World Bank as an ICT innovation specialist.

2011: Establishment of Foreign Affairs Policy Board

In 2011, the Foreign Affairs Policy Board was established by then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to advise US officials. Katherine Maher became a member of the board in 2022.

2012: Noted Twitter Feed

In 2012, Katherine Maher's Twitter feed on issues related to the Middle East was noted for its coverage of the Arab Spring.

2013: Joined Access Now

In 2013, Katherine Maher became the advocacy director at Access Now in Washington, D.C., focusing on the impact of cybersecurity, morality, and defamation laws on state censorship and dissent.

2013: Left the World Bank

In 2013, Katherine Maher concluded her role at the World Bank.

April 2014: Joined Wikimedia Foundation

In April 2014, Katherine Maher became the chief communications officer of the Wikimedia Foundation.

2014: Continued advocacy work at Access Now

In 2014, Katherine Maher continued her work as advocacy director at Access Now, focusing on the impact on people of laws about cybersecurity, morality, and defamation of the state that increase state censorship and reduce dissent.

March 2016: Interim Executive Director of Wikimedia Foundation

In March 2016, Katherine Maher became the interim executive director of the Wikimedia Foundation, following the resignation of Lila Tretikov.

June 23, 2016: Appointed Executive Director and CEO of Wikimedia Foundation

On June 23, 2016, Katherine Maher was appointed the executive director and CEO of the Wikimedia Foundation.

2018: Past tweets resurface

In April 2024, conservative journalists and activists criticized Katherine Maher for tweets she had made supporting progressive policies and about Donald Trump in 2018.

2020: Death of Gordon Roberts Maher

In 2020, Katherine Maher's father, Gordon Roberts Maher, who worked in finance, passed away in New York City.

April 15, 2021: Stepped down from Wikimedia Foundation

On April 15, 2021, Katherine Maher stepped down from her positions as CEO and executive director of the Wikimedia Foundation, and Maryana Iskander was appointed as her successor.

2021: Past comments resurface

In April 2024, conservative journalists and activists criticized Katherine Maher for comments Maher made about the First Amendment as "the number one challenge" in the fight against disinformation in a 2021 interview.

2022: Member of US State Department's Foreign Affairs Policy Board

From 2022, Katherine Maher was a member of the US State Department's Foreign Affairs Policy Board.

2022: Ceci Maher Elected to Connecticut State Senate

In 2022, Katherine Maher's mother, Ceci Maher, a former non-profit executive, was elected to the Connecticut State Senate.

January 2023: Board Chair of Adventure Scientists

As of January 2023, Katherine Maher is the board chair of the nonprofit organization Adventure Scientists.

July 2023: Marriage to Ashutosh Upreti

In July 2023, Katherine Maher married Ashutosh Upreti, a former lawyer for Lyft and Apple.

January 2024: Named CEO of NPR

In January 2024, Katherine Maher was named CEO of NPR.

March 2024: Appointment as CEO of NPR

In March 2024, Katherine Maher became the chief executive officer (CEO) and president of NPR.

March 2024: Started as CEO of NPR and Transitioned at Web Summit

In March 2024, Katherine Maher started her job as CEO of NPR and transitioned to the role of non-executive chairperson at Web Summit after three months as CEO.

April 2024: Criticism and Controversy Surrounding NPR

In April 2024, Uri Berliner published an essay criticizing liberal bias at NPR, leading to criticism of Katherine Maher for past tweets and comments. Berliner resigned after being suspended, and Maher defended NPR's record and her own views.

May 2024: Launch of "the Backstop" editing group at NPR

In May 2024, Katherine Maher approved and announced a new editing group for NPR called "the Backstop", which caused internal anxiety among employees.

August 2024: Maher comments on gender and scrutiny

In August 2024, while co-hosting the Public Media Development and Marketing Conference, Katherine Maher stated she believed her gender played a role in the scrutiny she faced after being named NPR CEO.