Katherine Maher
| Katherine Maher | |||
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Maher in 2016
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| Born |
Katherine Roberts Maher April 18, 1983 Wilton, Connecticut, U.S. |
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| Nationality | American | ||
| Alma mater | New York University | ||
| Occupation | , | ||
| Years active | 2005-present | ||
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Katherine Roberts Maher (born April 18, 1983) is the executive director of the , a position she has held since June 2016. Previously she was chief communications officer. In addition to a background in the field of information and communications technology (ICT), Maher has worked in the non-profit and international sectors focusing on the use of technology to empower human rights and international development, specifically improving communities, promoting inclusivity and transparency, and deepening participation.
Maher grew up in Wilton, Connecticut.
Maher attended Wilton High School. After high school, in 2003, Maher graduated from the Arabic Language Institute's Arabic Language Intensive Program (ALIN) of the American University in Cairo, which she said was a formative experience, instilling a deep love of the Middle East. Maher also studied at the Institut français d’études arabes de Damas (L'IFEAD) in Syria. During this period, she also spent time in Lebanon and Tunisia.
In 2005, Maher received a bachelor's degree from New York University in Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies.
After two internships, at the Council on Foreign Relations and Eurasia Group, in 2005 Maher began working at various locations of HSBC – in London, Germany, and Canada – as part of their international manager development programme.
In 2007, Maher moved back to New York City where from 2007 to 2010 she worked at UNICEF as an innovation and communication officer. She was one of the founding members of what became known as the innovation team, focusing on using technology to improve people's lives. As part of this position, Maher traveled globally and worked on issues related to maternal health, HIV/AIDS prevention, and youth participation in technology. One of her first projects at UNICEF involved testing related to accessibility in Ethiopia. Another project received USAid Development 2.0 Challenge grant funding to work on using mobile phones to monitor nutrition in children in Malawi.
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