Jeffrey Gedmin Stepping Down As RFE/RL President

After nearly four years as RFE/RL President, Jeffrey Gedmin is stepping down from the post at the end of February. Gedmin will take up the post of President and CEO of the Legatum Institute in London.

Gedmin took office in February 2007 and has overseen RFE/RL’s expansion of broadcasts to Pakistan, its significant development of new media, and the corporate relocation to a state-of-the-art broadcast headquarters in Prague.

“Jeff has been an exceptional leader of RFE/RL over the past four years,” said Dennis Mulhaupt, chairman of the corporate board of RFE/RL and member of the BBG. “He has immeasurably strengthened the organization and we are grateful for his dedicated leadership. We wish him the best in his future endeavors.”

During Gedmin’s tenure, RFE/RL’s independent reporting played a crucial role during several political crises, including the 2008 Russia-Georgia war, post-election protests in Iran in 2009, the revolution in Kygyzstan in 2010, and most recently the post-election turmoil in Belarus. RFE/RL journalists also took home countless awards in the past four years, including from such prestigious organizations as the Association for International Broadcasting and the

“Jeff’s passion for the power of the truth has been a great inspiration for all of us involved in international broadcasting”

Online News Association.

“It was an honor to serve as the president of a company that has such a positive impact on so many peoples’ lives,” Gedmin said. “Leaving RFE/RL was one of the toughest professional decisions I have ever made.”

The BBG will start an international search for a new president of RFE/RL and will work closely with Gedmin during this transition.

“Jeff’s passion for the power of the truth has been a great inspiration for all of us involved in international broadcasting,” said Walter Isaacson, Chairman of the BBG. Isaacson added, “The Board looks forward to Jeff serving as a valuable adviser in the future.”

For more, see statements from the Broadcasting Board of Governors and The Legatum Institute.

About RFE/RL
RFE/RL is an independent, international news and broadcast organization whose programs — radio, Internet, and television — reach influential audiences in 21 countries such as Russia, Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and the republics of Central Asia. It is funded by the U.S. Congress through the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG).