User:BMeehan-WMF

Bernadette Meehan

She/her

My Work

I joined the Wikimedia Foundation in January 2026 as the Chief Executive Officer. As I said in my first message, I’m awed by the brilliance and audacity of the Wikimedia Projects, and humbled and privileged to become part of this movement.

Together, I hope we can be bold, take risks, have fun, and continue shaping a shared vision for the future. As I step into this role, my focus is clear: to listen, learn, and empower people to do their best work.

I hope soon to be coming to a meeting near you around the puzzle globe - online and in person with Wiki communities and affiliates, Foundation staff, and other partners. To guide our early conversations, I’d love to know:

What brought you to this movement?
How do we stay relevant over the next 25 years?
What three Wiki resources should I read first?

If you have any questions for me, my team periodically monitors my talk page here.

About Me

My path to this moment has been a bit unconventional, but I’ve found deep alignment with the ethos, mission, and values of the Wikimedia Foundation. I graduated from Boston College and worked at J.P. Morgan, helping design one of its first web-based client platforms. Drawn to public service, I initiated a new chapter of my life by joining the Department of State in 2004. As a Foreign Service Officer I learned from people with different political, cultural, and ideological perspectives. I had postings in Colombia, Iraq, and the United Arab Emirates, and also served in a variety of roles in Washington, D.C. at the Department of State and the White House National Security Council (NSC). I also taught classes at Georgetown University for a year. Being around students renewed my energy, sense of purpose, and belief that we constantly need new ideas to improve the world.

In 2017 I helped President and Mrs. Obama as they launched the Obama Foundation, and led the design of leadership development programs across Africa, Asia-Pacific, South Asia, Europe, and Latin America. Following that role, in 2022 I returned to public service as U.S. Ambassador to Chile, a country I first visited as a 17-year-old.

Throughout these roles I have learned invaluable lessons: disagreement is not failure; open-mindedness is a strength; facts, data, and transparency build trust; respectful debate is possible – and healthy – when grounded in reliable sources; name calling is mean and unproductive; bitterness is corrosive; process matters; and collaboration leads to better outcomes. I saw first hand how individuals connected by shared principles can create tangible, collective, lasting impact.

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.