Katherine Roberts Maher (born April 18, 1983)[1] is a former chief executive officer and executive director of the Wikimedia Foundation.[2]
Before this, she was their chief communications officer.[3]
In 2003, Maher graduated from the Arabic Language Institute's Arabic Language Intensive Program of The American University in Cairo.[5] Maher subsequently studied at the Institut français d’études arabes de Damas in Syria. During this period, she also spent time in Lebanon and Tunisia.[1][6]
From 2007 to 2010, Maher worked at UNICEF as an innovation and communication officer.[8]
She focused on the use of technology to improve people's lives. Maher worked on issues related to maternal health, HIV/AIDS prevention, and youth participation in technology.[1]
One of her first projects at UNICEF involved testing MediaWiki extensions related to accessibility in Ethiopia.[9]
From 2010 to 2011, Maher worked at the National Democratic Institute as an ICT Program Officer.[10]
From 2011 to 2013, Maher worked as an ICT innovation specialist at the World Bank.[11]
In 2012, Maher's Twitter feed on issues related to the Middle East was cited as being notable in its coverage of the Arab Spring.[12][13]
From 2013 to 2014, Maher was advocacy director at the Washington, D.C.-based Access Now.[3][14] As part of this work, she focused on the impact on people of laws about cyber security, morality, and defamation of the state that increase state censorship and reduce dissent.[15] Access was a signatory of the Declaration of Internet Freedom.[11]
From April 2014 to March 2016, Maher was chief communications officer of the Wikimedia Foundation.[3][16][17] During this time, she gave an interview in The Washington Post on United States copyright law.[18]
In March 2016, Maher became interim executive director of the Wikimedia Foundation following the resignation of then executive director, Lila Tretikov.[14][19] Maher was appointed executive director in June 2016. The appointment was announced by Jimmy Wales on June 24, 2016 at Wikimania 2016[broken anchor] in Esino Lario, Italy, effective June 23, 2016.[2][3]
Maher states that she focuses on global digital inclusion as a way to improve and protect the rights of people to information through technology.[1][20]
2013: The Diplomatic Courier, Diplomatic Courier and Young Professionals in Foreign Policy. "99 Under 33" (world’s top 99 foreign policy leaders under the age of 33)[5][21]
Maher, Katherine; York, Jillian C. (2013). "Origins of the Tunisian Internet". In Hussain, Muzammil M.; Howard, Philip N. (eds.). State Power 2.0: Authoritarian Entrenchment and Political Engagement Worldwide. Burlington, VT: Ashgate Publishing Group. ISBN978-1-4094-5469-4. OCLC940726016.