Katherine Maher to step down

[Vigilant]

[Wikimedia-l] Thanks for all the fish! / Stepping down April 15

Hi everyone,

Earlier today, I announced to my colleagues at the Wikimedia Foundation my
intention to step down as CEO later this spring. April 15th will be my last
day, marking my seven-year anniversary with the Foundation and the
movement. This was not an easy decision, but it is the right one. For now,
I want to share with you why I’m moving on, and what comes next. I’ll save
the customary email with deeper reflections, memories, and thanks for later
this spring!

In some ways, this was the easiest hard decision I’ve ever made. It’s never
exactly a good time to step away -- transitions always have some rough
edges -- but it’s always best to do so when the organization is strong, and
before you’ve overstayed your welcome. The movement is in a good, strong
place. Our communities are growing, our readership is too. Our 20th
birthday, the launch of our Universal Code of Conduct, and the movement
strategy recommendations are all milestone moments of solidity and
strength. I have great hopes and confidence in the upcoming plans for
strategy implementation, particularly the work on the movement charter and
interim global council. We are healthy and thriving.

While we will always have more work to do to become the Wikimedia that we
want to be, our movement and our organization is in a phase of renewal and
regeneration. We have deepened our practices of consultation,
collaboration, and inclusion that will be the foundation of the next decade
of our work. We have a deep and stable financial position that will help us
grow and protect us from any storm, and the trust in our projects has never
been higher. Our communities are poised to take on deeper responsibilities
of governance, accountability, and leadership, populating a rich,
representative, and leaderful movement for free knowledge.

The Foundation is also strong, and filled with passionate, values-aligned
leaders at every level of the organization, deeply committed to the work of
our movement and mission. Although we don’t always all perfectly agree on
absolutely everything, we are working more openly and cooperatively with
our movement than ever before. Collaborative strategic planning,
sustainable programs to support technical communities and tooling,
co-development and consultation on transformative new experiences welcoming
newcomers, cooperative partnerships on public health data, bibliographic
data, and human rights data -- all of these are signals of much great work
to come. Even difficult topics, such as brand and movement governance,
continue to bring people together in nothing less than feisty commitment.

Together, we have rich resources of brilliant people, deep passion, and
compassion. We are making progress on some of our greatest challenges, from
editor and readership growth, technical debt, representation and
participation, safety and knowledge equity. I am proud of what we’ve done
together and grateful for all the ways in which this movement has made my
life immeasurably richer: friendships that will last a lifetime,
intellectual curiosity and kinship, and so many memories of *so much
dancing*, from Accra to Berlin to Chandigarh.

As for me, I’m going to take a break, and a research fellowship, as a place
to think about what’s next. It’s hard to think about your future when
you’re fully in your present, and for the past seven years, I’ve been fully
present for this movement. But as I look around, I see global challenges
such as polarization, inequality, and climate change, as well as
opportunities for generational renewal and optimism. As a Wikimedian, I
lean toward optimism, and plan to apply myself in that direction!

*What’s next*

- We announced this planned transition publicly on our communications
channels during a Foundation all-staff meeting today.
- A Board Transition Committee composed of Dariusz Jemielniak, who is
chair of HR Committee, Tanya Capuano, who is chair of the Audit Committee,
Raju Narisetti, and María Sefidari as Board Chair, will launch the search
for a new CEO. They’ll work closely with the executive Transition Team on
organizational operations, and with the broader board on an open candidate
call. The Board is working with the goal of onboarding a new CEO by Q2 of
the 2021-2022 fiscal year.
- We’ve been working on succession planning for the CEO role since 2019
as a matter of best practice, and the organization is well-prepared for a
thoughtful search for the next phase of our mission. The Board has decided
to work with Kathleen Yazbak of Viewcrest Advisors[1] for the executive
search: I’ve worked closely with Kathleen on a number of occasions, and she
is a true Wikimedian at heart.
- I’ll be drawing back from day-to-day operational work to transition
interim responsibilities starting February 8th. A C-level Transition Team
of Jaime Villagomez, Amanda Keton, and Robyn Arville, our two board
officers and chief people leader, will take up key responsibilities and
decision making around planning, community, and people, and work closely
with the broader C-team and VP leadership cohort.
- I’ll spend the next three months supporting the Foundation in readying
itself for a transition. I’ll spend February preparing with this group and
other organizational and community leaders on movement strategy and
institutional knowledge transfer, sharing lessons learned, and supporting
the organization in developing the next year’s strategic plan.
- I look forward to celebrating with you in March and April!

I'll be around for a bit, so feel free to reach out, and after that, I'll
see you on the wikis!

Cheers,
Katherine

[Poetlister]

[Vigilant]

The next WMF CEO, Laura Hale, acknowledges your well wishes.

[AndyTheGrump]

The next WMF CEO, Laura Hale, acknowledges your well wishes.

Or, as the result of an unexpected reconciliation, Larry Sanger returns!

[Zoloft]

Prediction for her successor: another white woman from the US, not ever an editor of the encyclopedia, associated with international fundraising.

[Poetlister]

Prediction for her successor: another white woman from the US, not ever an editor of the encyclopedia, associated with international fundraising.

And if Jimbo has much of a say, probably brunette.

But you say "not ever an editor of the encyclopedia". Haven't we commented in the past that the WMF often employs WP admins, and thought that this was bad, jobs for the boys?

[Beeblebrox]

Prediction for her successor: another white woman from the US, not ever an editor of the encyclopedia, associated with international fundraising.

This seems probable.
It's so weird reading Maher's statement going on an and on about "the movement" when nobody actually involved in said movement considers her a leader of it in any meaningful way. Her job is to manage the foundation, not the "movement". I don't know why she feels the need to keep pretending it is otherwise. I'm very happy that the office handles child protection issues and the other worst-of-the-worst stuff, which they started doing only after the community, and in particular arbcom, repeatedly asked them to. So that process worked, eventually, we asked for something, they delivered it. As has been discussed at length in numerous other threads here, it's when they start deciding what is needed without input from the community that they tend to screw it up. So it's fine with me if they hire someone from outside as they are hiring a CEO for a foundation, not a CEO of the encyclopedia or the movement.

It is actually one of my concerns, that we may be headed toward a culture of more top-down management. The one takeaway the foundation should have gotten from the Fram incident is that we absolutely do not want that.

[Zoloft]

Just remember, if you need responsible oversight of Wikipedia or the WMF, you're forced to come here.

[Giraffe Stapler]

It's so weird reading Maher's statement going on an and on about "the movement" when nobody actually involved in said movement considers her a leader of it in any meaningful way. Her job is to manage the foundation, not the "movement". I don't know why she feels the need to keep pretending it is otherwise. I'm very happy that the office handles child protection issues and the other worst-of-the-worst stuff, which they started doing only after the community, and in particular arbcom, repeatedly asked them to. So that process worked, eventually, we asked for something, they delivered it. As has been discussed at length in numerous other threads here, it's when they start deciding what is needed without input from the community that they tend to screw it up. So it's fine with me if they hire someone from outside as they are hiring a CEO for a foundation, not a CEO of the encyclopedia or the movement.

I'm not sure that "the movement" means "the editing community". I think the movement she's talking about are the WMF and related bodies like the Creative Commons. The editing community is a resource of the WMF. It is replaceable. It does not dictate direction of the movement.

[Ada Sinn]

The next WMF CEO, Laura Hale, acknowledges your well wishes.

My bet is on Maria Sefidari

[Casliber]

Just remember, if you need responsible oversight of Wikipedia or the WMF, you're forced to come here.

that made me chuckle today

[Vigilant]

The next WMF CEO, Laura Hale, acknowledges your well wishes.

My bet is on Maria Sefidari

HR doing their due diligence on Maria Sefidari Huici and trying to reconcile her voluminous specious public statements, e.g. "I'm a doctoral candidate in Computer Science...." or "I'm a university professor since I've 'taught' exactly one class on wikipedia editing as a guest lecturer..." would be both hilarious and sad.

I wonder how her actions during the Frammageddon would play out...

[Vigilant]

Just remember, if you need responsible oversight of Wikipedia or the WMF, you're forced to come here.

that made me chuckle today

We also do a metric ton of post-hire vetting for you guys.

[orangepi]

The term "figurehead" comes to mind regarding her "running" English Wikipedia, but she did good enough at her actual job.

[Osborne]

The next WMF CEO, Laura Hale, acknowledges your well wishes.

My bet is on Maria Sefidari

Katherine and the Board have long had a plan in place in the case of a succession. According to that plan, a Transition Committee of Wikimedia Trustees has been selected to recommend to the Board Katherineʼs successor and includes Trustees Dariusz Jemielniak, who is chair of HR Committee, Tanya Capuano, who is chair of the Audit Committee, and Raju Narisetti, along with me as Board Chair.

Initially, I thought about betting on María, but with her being on the Transition Committee that seems impossible. Unless... 2 coups aren't enough to start the year with.

[Randy from Boise]

MA-GGEE DEN-NISS!!! (clap clap, clap-clap-clap!)

MA-GGEE DEN-NISS!!! (clap clap, clap-clap-clap!)

MA-GGEE DEN-NISS!!! (clap clap, clap-clap-clap!)

[Jazzman]

‘…leaving the nonprofit in a vastly stronger position than she found it when she joined in 2014’ makes it sound as if she were responsible for it, but that’s how people manipulate the press while in fact the Foundation's relations with the communities have never been at such a low ebb. Expanding on the very apt comment by Beeblebrox, it would probably be too much to hope for that in the future the position will reflect more pro-active 'executive' engagement towards the volunteer communities and their needs.

Whilst there is no doubt that Maher might have been an excellent high-flying ambassador for the WMF as a 'socio-political movement', her ground level management and collaboration with the volunteers has left much to be desired (looking at her en.Wiki talk page, she probably doesn't even consider that part of it to be within the CEO remit). Factory-floor focused top management is needed for what is - or was when it all began - a collection of encyclopedias now with a bloated 300+ paid staff in total disproportion to the growth of its online content.

Someone at the top is needed to take proper care of the unpaid labor force whose efforts reap the donations that line the staff’s pockets and privileges; someone who would stay in the office to exercise some ground control over the anarchic C staff. Certainly the travel restrictions at 36,000ft due to COVID-19 have rendered the current CEO job slot somewhat less appealing (it's my guess that's why she's leaving), but 4 or 5 years in it living most of the time on a travel expense account would permit almost any normal mortal in mid-career to take a few months off - or even an early retirement.

[Zoloft]

to

Jazzman!

[C&B]

Just remember, if you need responsible oversight of Wikipedia or the WMF, you're forced to come here.

that made me chuckle today

If you don't think that was the pure, unadulterated 100% truth, this site isn't what you think it is. You should, then, plan your attendance here accordingly.

[Osborne]

MA-GGEE DEN-NISS!!! (clap clap, clap-clap-clap!)

Yeah, she would be great!

[Poetlister]

Yes, and sort of brunette.

[CoffeeCrumbs]

It's very on-brand for Wikimedia-L to have far more panegyrics to Maher than complaints about WMF mismanagement.

[Osborne]

It's very on-brand for Wikimedia-L to have far more panegyrics to Maher than complaints about WMF mismanagement.

Yep, WMF is all about pretense. Criticism has repercussions, praise has benefits.
Also, some of these people might legit have appreciated her. She has an enjoyable personality.
There also seem to be some love letters.

[C&B]

Appearance Over the substance, of Course: Imagine if As Much time and money was Invested in Actual Anti-harassment rather Than building the Air Milages!

[Poetlister]

Her main function was always to raise funds. She was fairly good at that, which of course delighted the trustees and staff.

[Zoloft]

She started the job as a lightweight and ended it as a lightweight.
     

[Osborne]

Axios - Exclusive: The end of the Maher era at Wikipedia

Lightweight article with symbolic image invoking associations of Jesus.

Savior of Wikipedia.jpg

Katherine Maher, the Wikimedia Foundation's CEO, will step down as of April 15, she tells Axios, leaving the nonprofit in a vastly stronger position than she found it when she joined in 2014.
...
Financially, the Wikimedia Foundation now has an endowment of more than $90 million, and has doubled its annual budget to an estimated $140 million in 2021.
...
What's next: The Wikimedia Foundation board has created a committee to search for Maher's successor. Maher tells Axios that she hopes the next leader will "come from the future of knowledge" — by which she means Africa, the Indian subcontinent, or Latin America.

Also some recent interviews:

Maher did a CBS This Morning podcast this morning and a livestream fireside chat on FB this evening.

[BrillLyle]

Oh my goodness. I am SO happy Maher is leaving. It’s beyond time.

Yay!

[Randy from Boise]

Oh my goodness. I am SO happy Maher is leaving. It’s beyond time.

Yay!

+1

She was icky.

t

[Randy from Boise]

MAG-GIE - DEN - NIS!!! (clap, clap, clap-clap-clap)

MAG-GIE - DEN - NIS!!! (clap, clap, clap-clap-clap)

MAG-GIE - DEN - NIS!!! (clap, clap, clap-clap-clap)

t

[Moral Hazard]

So Maher and the WMF are going to split up.

Who gets custody of her WMF-sponsored frequent-flier mileage?

[Jim]

MAG-GIE - DEN - NIS!!! (clap, clap, clap-clap-clap)

MAG-GIE - DEN - NIS!!! (clap, clap, clap-clap-clap)

MAG-GIE - DEN - NIS!!! (clap, clap, clap-clap-clap)

t

Did she give you the "autopatrolled" right or something? - you seem extraordinarily enamoured.

[Osborne]

In my experience Maggie means it when she's talking about how to do these ongoing improvements. She is more in contact with the community. For Maher these were just fancy words to use in her PR speeches promoting Wikipedia. Empty words without any real, beneficial action behind them.

[No Ledge]

Maggie, aka Moonriddengirl (T-C-L) ranks #413 on the edit-count list with over 134,000 edits and has been an English Wikipedia administrator since 2007 (her RfA passed by 83%. The opposes were for lack of experience, which, as opposed to incivility and noticeboard drama, is a reason I think should be discounted in borderline cases, i.e. crat chats). She is regarded as one of Wikipedia's authorities on copyright issues and attribution for content.

[Poetlister]

Maggie, aka Moonriddengirl (T-C-L) ranks #413 on the edit-count list with over 134,000 edits and has been an English Wikipedia administrator since 2007 (her RfA passed by 83%. The opposes were for lack of experience, which, as opposed to incivility and noticeboard drama, is a reason I think should be discounted in borderline cases, i.e. crat chats). She is regarded as one of Wikipedia's authorities on copyright issues and attribution for content.

Being a reasonably good admin is certainly a huge plus point for any WMF staffer especially the top one.

[Zoloft]

I would suggest picking an expert from the publishing industry such as Tracy Sherrod (T-H-L).

Hmmm. No article.

or perhaps Linda Duggins (T-H-L).

No article.

How about Ebony LaDelle (T-H-L)?

I, uhm. well.

*looks at an old-school-type publishing industry type*

Erroll McDonald (T-H-L)

No article.

Maybe Wikipedia has some sort of bias?

[Zoloft]

Maybe it's time for another blog post: Are Black Americans Invisible on Wikipedia?

[Bezdomni]

That would be a Very Interesting Post.

source: §

Apparently Wikipedia thinks that the Bessemer union leader who testified to the Senate Budget Committee is a misspelling. (§).

[Zoloft]

That would be a Very Interesting Post.

source: §

Apparently Wikipedia thinks that the Bessemer union leader who testified to the Senate Budget Committee is a misspelling. (§).

What's worse is I didn't cherry-pick. I read a New York Times article on prominent Black people in the publishing industry (the one you link), and looked for their articles, as shown. Then I stopped. Horrific.

[Poetlister]

I note that Category:African-American statisticians (T-H-L) has only nine entries.

[Beeblebrox]

Unless I've missed something, Maher will be gone by the end of the week and we still don't know who is replacing her.

[Poetlister]

Unless I've missed something, Maher will be gone by the end of the week and we still don't know who is replacing her.

Would it matter if the post is vacant for a while?

[rhindle]

Unless I've missed something, Maher will be gone by the end of the week and we still don't know who is replacing her.

They'll probably go with an "acting" CEO for the next 2 years.

[jf1970]

Unless I've missed something, Maher will be gone by the end of the week and we still don't know who is replacing her.

They'll probably go with an "acting" CEO for the next 2 years.

Acting CEO is the right thing to do. The current board shouldn't be picking the permanent replacement; it should wait until after board elections.

[Beeblebrox]

Unless I've missed something, Maher will be gone by the end of the week and we still don't know who is replacing her.

They'll probably go with an "acting" CEO for the next 2 years.

Acting CEO is the right thing to do. The current board shouldn't be picking the permanent replacement; it should wait until after board elections.

That's a fair point.

[Vigilant]

Unless I've missed something, Maher will be gone by the end of the week and we still don't know who is replacing her.

They'll probably go with an "acting" CEO for the next 2 years.

Acting CEO is the right thing to do. The current board shouldn't be picking the permanent replacement; it should wait until after board elections.

That's a fair point.

Who actually thinks there will be free and fair elections for the board?

[Poetlister]

Unless I've missed something, Maher will be gone by the end of the week and we still don't know who is replacing her.

They'll probably go with an "acting" CEO for the next 2 years.

Acting CEO is the right thing to do. The current board shouldn't be picking the permanent replacement; it should wait until after board elections.

Yes, it's like how the senate refused to appoint Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court in 2016; they wanted to wait until after the elections.

[Moral Hazard]

I note that Category:African-American statisticians (T-H-L) has only nine entries.

Statisticians rarely identify their religious, ethnic, racial, or sexual/gender identifications.

In my experience, minority scientists who achieve something would rather talk about their research achievements and wisdom than about identities. Most of them are so exceptional that their life histories sound like bragging.

[Moral Hazard]

Unless I've missed something, Maher will be gone by the end of the week and we still don't know who is replacing her.

Fear the return of Erik Möller, (T-H-L) The Mole Man (T-H-L)!

[Bezdomni]

One day before the putative end of her tenure, Maher is interviewed on a Minassian-produced show. She should get bonus points for recycling the "correct the record" meme.