Hi everyone - Thank you for the messages of welcome that I have received since my announcement [1] last Tuesday as the incoming CEO of the Wikimedia Foundation.
As I mentioned in my welcome letter below, I am officially joining in January 2022 and would like to use the next few months for a “listening tour” to help me do just that: listen and learn. If you are interested in sharing, you can find details on Meta now [2]. I welcome input from anyone who would like to share and look forward to meeting some of you on the screen and maybe even in person! Thank you, Maryana [1] *https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_Board_noticeboard/14_September_2021_-_Welcoming_the_new_Wikimedia_Foundation_CEO <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_Board_noticeboard/14_September_2021_-_Welcoming_the_new_Wikimedia_Foundation_CEO>* [2] https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_Chief_Executive_Officer/Maryana%E2%80%99s_Listening_Tour On Tue, Sep 14, 2021 at 5:35 PM Maryana Iskander <miskan...@wikimedia.org> wrote: > Dear All, > > Thank you for this opportunity to introduce myself to you. > > When I read the job position [1] for the next leader of Wikimedia > Foundation, I noticed that it opened with a seemingly simple statement: > “Knowledge belongs to all of us.” Does it, really? It’s a striking > statement. In an increasingly unequal and polarizing world, one in which > almost nothing belongs to all of us, the idea that knowledge *must *belong > to all is enough to capture anyone’s attention and imagination – certainly > mine. > > My story is shaped by a twin belief that knowledge can also set us free. > Shortly after I was born in Cairo, Egypt, my parents left for the United > States. During my time at university, graduate school, and law school, I > was consistently pulled towards some of society’s toughest issues – women’s > rights, civil rights, and the rights of prisoners. I was equally pulled by > the need to be effective in making change – seeking out leadership > positions and raising my hand and voice to change the institutions of > power, not just protest against them. I learned that the opportunity to > make meaningful impact often sits ‘in-between’ traditional spheres: > in-between research and teaching at Rice University, in-between healthcare > delivery and advocacy at Planned Parenthood, and in-between government and > the private sector at Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator. My time at all > of these organisations required listening to and learning from many diverse > stakeholders – including volunteers – and using my position of leadership > to champion often unheard voices. > > > > In 2012, I followed my heart to South Africa and its very complicated > society – a legacy of apartheid perpetuating deep inequality despite the > resilience of communities full of potential and hope, and a country with > one of the highest youth unemployment rates in the world. A new > organisation had just been formed with a big vision to close this > opportunity gap. I signed up, first as an unpaid volunteer, and then for > many years as the CEO. My job has been to cultivate a common space of trust > for the collective assets of the society – from government, the private > sector, civil society, and millions of young people – to work in a > coalition to tackle one of the most daunting challenges of our time. To do > this, we relied on an inclusive, multi-channel platform that leverages all > forms of technology as a way to serve communities still riddled by a basic > lack of access. Our successes came from the power of connection, > partnership, and a collective belief that young people are the solution, > not the problem. As I began my tenth year, I felt it was time to make space > for new leaders. > > > > Why am I joining the Wikimedia Foundation at this moment? There are many > reasons: (1) this collective of projects is growing what is perhaps the > most important commons infrastructure of our modern world. I am excited to > add my time and talents to this vision. What will it take to create – not > just imagine – a world in which every single human being can freely share > in the sum of all knowledge? (2) I have experienced first-hand that > distributed leadership models can usually achieve more than any group of > people can do on their own. I am eager to support processes that will make > this even more true for our movement; and (3) I am drawn to working with > people of integrity and commitment, who also appreciate humor and joy. I > can already see that I will meet new colleagues like this from all over the > world. > > > > My former colleagues will say that I believe progress is enabled by > culture: one that is founded on accountability, diversity and inclusion in > all its forms, and a way of working led by values. It has informed an > organisational humility in working with others and a relentless focus on > getting things done the right way – while doing the right thing. > > > > During the recruitment process, I met with a leading academic in the > United States named Rebecca. She told me a story of her primary school > teacher asking the students to raise their hands if they did not have an > encyclopedia at home. She was one of those students, and it made her feel, > for the first time, that maybe she didn’t have equal access to the > resources needed for her education. The work of this collective community, > should we achieve our vision, will make it unnecessary for a teacher to > ever ask that question again. I then returned to South Africa and spoke to > another Rebecca. This young woman grew up in a rural area where it was a > struggle to afford text messaging, never mind any meaningful access to the > digital world. She, too, did not have equal access to the resources she > needed. Despite their starkly different circumstances, I believe that each > Rebecca can find her own point of entry into our vision and impact as we > look ahead to 2030. > > *What have been my prior experiences with the wikiverse?* > > I have had two past interactions with the people behind Wikipedia, in > addition to being a reader and admirer. > > > > First, I attended a conference in 2019 where I met a volunteer editor on > English Wikipedia. The next year, he reached out to me to say that > Wikipedia was looking to increase its articles about notable women, and he > would write an article about me [2] in line with Wikipedia’s editing > values. He eventually did this with the help of another editor from “Women > in Red.” > > > > Second, on World Teachers Day in October 2019, my current organisation, > Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator, participated in an AfroCuration > event hosted by WikiAfrica Education. It was aimed at generating new > historical content on Wikipedia related to the themes of democracy, > freedom, and constitution-making. The goal was to support students and > teachers to create articles in indigenous languages about individuals who > contributed to South Africa’s remarkable Constitution. > > > > I look forward to beginning my own editing and volunteer journey as well > as my professional path in the movement. > > *What are three things I want to learn from you?* > > My first job is to listen and seek to understand. > > Even before I officially join the Wikimedia Foundation in January 2022, I > would like to hear from anyone who is interested in sharing directly with > me. Later this month, I will send more information about a focused > ‘listening tour’ that will take place ahead of my formal start date. It > will consist of online and offline engagements across Wiki communities, as > well as with Foundation staff and other stakeholders. > > I know that we are many communities with many different opinions. I will > of course first ask you what you think: about our vision, mission, impact, > strategy, how we relate to the rest of the world, as well as our current > and future ways of working and achieving our aspirations. > > But I will also ask you to help me learn what you know from data, even if > it differs from what you think. I am curious about the spaces ‘in between’ > opinion and evidence – as messy or imperfect as they may be. > > And finally, I want to learn what motivates you at a personal level to > contribute to your projects and participate in your communities. > > Thank you for taking the time to read my message. I look forward to > hearing from you. > > Maryana > > P.S. If you would like to read a translation of this email or can help to > translate my email into other languages, please visit Meta [3] > > > ------------------------------ > > [1] > https://wikimediafoundation.org/about/jobs/our-2021-ceo-and-executive-director-search/#section-1 > > [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maryana_Iskander > > [3] > https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_Board_noticeboard/14_September_2021_-_Welcoming_the_new_Wikimedia_Foundation_CEO > > > > On Tue, Sep 14, 2021 at 5:31 PM Nataliia Tymkiv <ntym...@wikimedia.org> > wrote: > >> Dear all, >> >> I am pleased to announce that the Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees >> has appointed Maryana Iskander as the new CEO of the Wikimedia Foundation >> [1] [2]. >> >> Since 2013, Maryana has served as the CEO of Harambee Youth Employment >> Accelerator [3], a South African non-profit social enterprise focused on >> building African solutions for the global challenge of youth unemployment. >> Prior to this, she spent six years as Chief Operating Officer of Planned >> Parenthood Federation of America [4], a volunteer-led social movement >> focused on access to women’s healthcare. Maryana has also worked in >> academia as the Advisor to the President of Rice University [5], an >> international research university based in the United States. >> >> Her professional career has been motivated by breaking down systemic >> barriers, creating opportunities for collaborative solution-building, and >> community empowerment. She has a proven track record for leading complex >> organisations shaped by shared decision-making. >> >> In looking for the next CEO, we on the Board convened a Transition >> Committee [6], primarily to guide us in finding the right person for this >> critical role and secondly to oversee the executive Transition Team. The >> Transition Committee conducted a far-reaching and competitive global >> search, receiving around 400 recommendations and speaking to about 50 >> potential candidates. Throughout this selection process, Maryana impressed >> us as someone who is deeply inspired by the Wikimedia vision and who >> embodies the values of equity and community that inform all Wikimedia work. >> She has extensive leadership experience working with volunteer-led >> initiatives and building partnerships across public, private and social >> sectors. Maryana also brings expertise in technology-led innovation to >> accelerate meaningful social change. She does this with a global >> perspective: Maryana was born in the Middle East, educated in the United >> States and the United Kingdom, and has spent the last decade living and >> working on the African continent. >> >> Maryana joins the Wikimedia Foundation at a crucial time. The movement is >> larger than ever, and it has never been more relevant or more trusted. This >> is an inflection point, as decisions need to be made to execute a shared >> vision for where the Movement wants to be in 2030. We believe that Maryana >> is the right person to help lead the Foundation at this moment. >> >> As Maryana begins, her priorities will include supporting movement >> efforts to implement the Wikimedia 2030 recommendations, such as the >> development of a Movement Charter and the finalization of a Universal Code >> of Conduct. She will continue the Foundation’s focus on knowledge equity >> and exploring ways to address the gaps in content and the diversity of >> contributors to Wikimedia projects. She will be supported by the Board in >> this journey. >> >> Maryana will officially start at the Wikimedia Foundation on January 5, >> 2022, as she transitions from her current job. Until then, the Foundation >> will continue to be led by the Transition Team, with guidance from the >> Board. In my conversations with her, I have seen that Maryana is a fan of >> direct communication and excited to learn from the movement. In the coming >> weeks, she will share ways to connect. Please join me in welcoming Maryana >> (CCed) to the Foundation! >> >> PS. For translations of this message, or to help translate it into more >> languages, please visit Meta-Wiki [7] >> >> *[1] >> https://wikimediafoundation.org/news/2021/09/14/wikimedia-foundation-appoints-maryana-iskander-as-chief-executive-officer/ >> <https://wikimediafoundation.org/news/2021/09/14/wikimedia-foundation-appoints-maryana-iskander-as-chief-executive-officer/>* >> >> *[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maryana_Iskander >> <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maryana_Iskander> * >> >> *[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harambee_Youth_Employment_Accelerator >> <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harambee_Youth_Employment_Accelerator>* >> >> *[4] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planned_Parenthood >> <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planned_Parenthood>* >> >> *[5] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rice_University >> <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rice_University> * >> >> *[6] >> https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Resolution:Creating_a_CEO_Transition_Committee_and_Transition_Team,_2021 >> <https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Resolution:Creating_a_CEO_Transition_Committee_and_Transition_Team,_2021> >> * >> *[7] >> https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_Board_noticeboard/14_September_2021_-_Welcoming_the_new_Wikimedia_Foundation_CEO >> <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_Board_noticeboard/14_September_2021_-_Welcoming_the_new_Wikimedia_Foundation_CEO>* >> <https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Foundation_Board_noticeboard/14_September_2021_-_Welcoming_the_new_Wikimedia_Foundation_CEO> >> >> Best regards, >> antanana / Nataliia Tymkiv >> Acting Chair, Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees >> >> *NOTICE: You may have received this message outside of your normal >> working hours/days, as I usually can work more as a volunteer during >> weekend. You should not feel obligated to answer it during your days off. >> Thank you in advance!* >> >>
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