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Gerun Riley Named President of The Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation
LOS ANGELES, Aug. 22, 2016—Gerun Riley has been named president of The Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation, the founders and board vice chairman announced today.
A longtime employee and confidante of Eli and Edythe Broad, Riley will work closely with Eli Broad to oversee the activities and investments of The Broad Foundation’s work in education, scientific and medical research and the arts.
“For some time now we have looked for someone who we trust to work with me in overseeing our philanthropic activities, someone who shares our values and priorities,” said Eli Broad, co-founder and chairman of The Broad Foundations. “And the right person was with us the whole time. Gerun is smart, loyal and passionate about our philanthropic work. We have the highest confidence in her abilities, and our board is in agreement that Gerun has the vision and leadership to carry forward our foundation’s work.”
“We fully support Eli and Edye’s choice of Gerun to lead The Broad Foundation, and we look forward to working even more closely with her in the coming years,” said Jay Wintrob, vice chairman of The Broad Foundations board of governors. “Her detailed knowledge of our activities, keen insights and ability to ask strategic questions make her an ideal partner in the Broads’ philanthropic work.”
Riley, 40, began working for the Broad family in 2003 in an entry-level administrative position and has assumed roles of increasing responsibility, serving as chief of staff, vice president and most recently as senior vice president of the foundation. She has worked on a number of key initiatives including The Broad Prize for Urban Education, the architectural competition and construction of The Broad museum and the foundation’s organizational strategy, design and governance. She has also worked closely with major grantees including The Broad Stage, The Broad Institute, the Broad stem cell research centers at UCLA, USC and UC San Francisco, and the Broad museums at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and Michigan State University.
Prior to joining The Broad Foundation, Riley worked in the New York office of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher and Flom, where she collaborated with senior partners to run the firm’s pro bono department. She has a bachelor’s degree in neuroscience from Bowdoin College. A Connecticut native, Riley has lived in Los Angeles since 2002. She and her husband, television writer and producer Jason Wilborn, have two children.
“For over 13 years I’ve had the privilege to work side by side with the Broads on their dogged mission to improve the human mind, body and spirit,” said Riley. “It’s a humbling honor to assume the responsibility of leading the charge to continue The Broad Foundation’s rigorous dedication to stronger public schools, cutting-edge scientific and medical research and accessibility to the arts. I look forward to working with Eli and Edye, our board and our dedicated colleagues to guide the foundation into its next chapter.”
A photo of Riley is available upon request.
The Broad Foundations, which include The Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation and The Broad Art Foundation, were established to advance entrepreneurship for the public good in education, science and the arts. They have assets of $3 billion. For more information, visit www.broadfoundation.org.
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