Christopher Stone to Lead Open Society Foundations in 2012

Photograph: © Bryan Chan for the Open Society Foundations

The Open Society Foundations today announced the appointment of Christopher Stone as its next president, effective July 2012. For almost three decades the Open Society Foundations have been committed to promoting justice, human rights, health, and education around the world.

Stone currently is the Guggenheim Professor of the Practice of Criminal Justice at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government and director of the Hauser Center for Nonprofit Organizations. From 1994 to 2004, Stone served as director of the Vera Institute of Justice. A board member of the Open Society Justice Initiative since 2004, he has extensive experience on the improvement of criminal justice systems as well as the leadership and governance of nonprofit organizations.

Stone’s appointment is the result of an international search that began when current president Aryeh Neier announced earlier this year that he would step down as president in 2012.

Neier became president in 1993 and under his leadership the Foundations have given away more than $8 billion for a range of open society issues, including helping usher democracy into Eastern Europe after the fall of Communism, supporting the creation of the International Criminal Court, and promoting access to information around the world.

Stone will build on Aryeh Neier’s legacy and is well-placed to guide the Foundations to embrace new opportunities and face new challenges. A full timeline of Open Society achievements is available online.