In early 2020, I outlined our efforts to expand Mozilla’s boards. Over the past year, we’ve added three new external Mozilla board members: Navrina Singh and Wambui Kinya to the Mozilla Foundation board and Laura Chambers to the Mozilla Corporation board.
Today, I’m excited to welcome Mark Surman, Executive Director of the Mozilla Foundation, to the Foundation board.
As I said to staff prior to his appointment, when I think about who should hold the keys to Mozilla, Mark is high on that list. Mark has unique qualifications in terms of the overall direction of Mozilla, how our organizations interoperate, and if and how we create programs, structures or organizations. Mark is joining the Mozilla Foundation board as an individual based on these qualifications; we have not made the decision that the Executive Director is automatically a member of the Board.
Mark has demonstrated his commitment to Mozilla as a whole, over and over. The whole of Mozilla figures into his strategic thinking. He’s got a good sense of how Mozilla Foundation and Mozilla Corporation can magnify or reduce the effectiveness of Mozilla overall. Mark has a hunger for Mozilla to grow in impact. He has demonstrated an ability to think big, and to dive into the work that is in front of us today.
For those of you who don’t know Mark already, he brings over two decades of experience leading projects and organizations focused on the public interest side of the internet. In the 12 years since Mark joined Mozilla, he has built the Foundation into a leading philanthropic and advocacy voice championing the health of the internet. Prior to Mozilla, Mark spent 15 years working on everything from a non-profit internet provider to an early open source content management system to a global network of community-run cybercafes. Currently, Mark spends most of his time on Mozilla’s efforts to promote trustworthy AI in the tech industry, a major focus of the Foundation’s current efforts.
Please join me in welcoming Mark Surman to the Mozilla Foundation Board of Directors.
You can read Mark’s message about why he’s joining Mozilla here.
PS. As always, we continue to look for new members for both boards, with the goal of adding the skills, networks and diversity Mozilla will need to succeed in the future.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/msurman/
