Bishop will lead effort to convene around solutions to large-scale global challenges
NEW YORK—The Rockefeller Foundation today announced that Matthew Bishop, a senior writer and editor at The Economist, will join the Foundation as a managing director in a new role that will include overseeing programming for its Bellagio Center, the new RF Fellows, and broader thought leadership.
In his new role, Bishop will take forward the Foundation’s convening, networking, and problem-solving capabilities by expanding the work of The Rockefeller Foundation Bellagio Center. The Bellagio Center has always served as an incubator for individuals and organizations that are seeking to improve the lives of poor or vulnerable people globally. Since its launch, the Bellagio Center has hosted meetings that have changed the course of humanity—from scaling up the Green Revolution, to serving as an early launch pad for the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative and Gavi, the Vaccine Initiative, to the birth of the field of impact investing. It has hosted residencies that have furthered the work of some of the world’s finest artists, writers, and scholars—such as George Kennan, Maya Angelou, Michael Ondaatje, and Ruth Bader Ginsberg.
Bishop will also build on the work of the Bellagio Center to create a new global institute that will bring together diverse voices from around the world to shine a light on big ideas, and help to rapidly implement scalable solutions to improve the lives of even the most vulnerable. Based on the belief that great ideas—and resulting solutions—are often the product of deep, thoughtful, face-to-face conversations, Bishop will curate a program of convenings in Bellagio and beyond to drive innovation, collaboration, and action, as well as using the best of modern media to engage others in these important conversations.
“For nearly 30 years, through a variety of writing, editorial, and leadership roles, Matthew has committed himself to turning good ideas into forceful action, and I am confident that he is the right person to take The Rockefeller Foundation’s convening and networking capabilities to even greater heights,” said Rajiv Shah, President of The Rockefeller Foundation. “As we aim to find new ways to promote the well-being of humanity in the 21st century, we will look to Matthew’s deep respect for expertise and original thinking, and his love of collaborating with others to get ambitious things done.”
“At this time, when progress no longer seems inevitable, deep, fresh thinking is needed urgently. My vision for The Rockefeller Foundation’s convening and fellowship is to put the wind at the backs of great ideas and solutions, and to provide a platform for the dreamers, visionaries and doers who can help humanity to move beyond this current era of populist skepticism and get back on the path of real progress for all,” said Matthew Bishop. “I am thrilled to be joining The Rockefeller Foundation at this crucial time—especially under the guidance of Raj Shah, whom I’ve long admired—and look forward to working with a wide range of thinkers and practitioners from around the world to create a new generation of ‘moonshots.’”
Along with serving as a writer and editor at The Economist for the past 27 years, Bishop co-founded the Social Progress Index, helped to launch the #GivingTuesday campaign, and was a member of the G8 Taskforce on Social Impact Investing. He is the co-author of several books, including Philanthrocapitalism: How Giving Can Save the World and The Road From Ruin. Some years ago, he was honored as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum.
Bishop will begin his work at The Rockefeller Foundation later this year.
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Contact Info:
The Rockefeller Foundation: Laura Gordon, lgordon@rockfound.org
About The Rockefeller Foundation:
For more than 100 years, The Rockefeller Foundation’s mission has been to promote the well-being of humanity throughout the world. Together with partners and grantees, The Rockefeller Foundation strives to catalyze and scale transformative innovations, create unlikely partnerships that span sectors, and take risks others cannot – or will not. For more information, please visit www.rockefellerfoundation.org