Maryana Iskander
She/Her
My Work
I came to the Wikimedia Foundation in January 2022 because I was inspired by the mission of this movement to create the sum of all knowledge for all people. I believe that the mission and the work of Wikimedia has never been more urgently needed in the world.
As CEO, my role is one of leadership and support. None of us can tackle big things alone and I have experienced firsthand that distributed leadership models can achieve more than any group of people can do on their own. I will work across the movement to achieve our mission, together.
If you have any questions for me, my team periodically monitors my talk page here; you can also reach out to me via email.About Me
I am the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Wikimedia Foundation after a decade as the CEO of Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator, a non-profit social enterprise focused on building African solutions to tackle the global crisis of youth unemployment. I have also served as Chief Operating Officer of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, a volunteer-led social movement.
I was born in Cairo, Egypt, before emigrating with my parents to the United States. Since then, I have lived and studied in the US and Europe before settling in South Africa.
My career has been shaped by work that melds people, impact, and technology to break down barriers and increase access to opportunity.Disclaimer
I work for or provide services to the Wikimedia Foundation, and this is the account I try to use for edits or statements I make in that role. However, the Foundation does not vet all my activity, and edits, statements, or other contributions made by this account may not reflect the views of the Foundation.