Consumer Reports Names Two New Members to Board of Directors

YONKERS, NY — Consumer Reports (CR), the nonprofit research, testing, and consumer advocacy organization, welcomes two new members to its Board of Directors: Katherine Maher, former CEO of Wikimedia Foundation, the organization behind Wikipedia, and Sonal Shah, who serves on United Way Worldwide’s Executive Leadership Team as Interim Executive Vice President of Worldwide Network Advancement.

The additions were announced at Consumer Reports Annual Meeting on Wednesday, October 19, 2022, which celebrated the ability of consumers to harness their individual and collective power to effect change.

“Time and time again, consumers have proven to be the most powerful change agents in the marketplace. For decades, Consumer Reports has worked to lift the voices of consumers and bring people together to address marketplace harms,” said Marta L. Tellado, President and CEO of Consumer Reports. “We can only do this work with the right vision and team. The experience that Katherine and Sonal bring to the CR Board will help us further advance our mission in an increasingly challenging and complex time.”

Joaquín Alvarado, Chair of Consumer Reports’ Board of Directors and Founder and Partner of Studiotobe said, “We are living in unique times. CR continually innovates and adapts to meet the needs of consumers today while looking toward the future. This team brings together the critical perspectives and experience to fulfill CR’s mission for years to come.”

In addition to the election of Maher and Shah, the following Board members were reelected to new three-year terms: Joaquín Alvarado, Chair of CR’s Board of Directors and Founder of Studiotobe, a media and consulting firm dedicated to journalism, storytelling, and community-based impact; Millie Chu Baird, Senior Program Officer for Climate Advocacy and Equity for the Yellow Chair Foundation; Willie May, Vice President for Research and Economic Development at Morgan State University; and Russell G. Noles, retired Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for Nuveen.

About the New Members of the Consumer Reports Board of Directors:

Katherine Maher is the former CEO of the Wikimedia Foundation, the organization behind Wikipedia. Prior to leading Wikimedia, she was director of advocacy for the digital rights organization Access Now, where she focused on critical issues of freedom of expression, access to information, and privacy. Prior to Access Now, Ms. Maher worked at the World Bank, the National Democratic Institute, and UNICEF, founding and shaping technology and innovation agendas for international development, human rights, and democratic participation. She is a member of the U.S. Department of State’s Foreign Affairs Policy Board, a non-resident Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council, a term member of the Council on Foreign Relations, a security fellow at the Truman National Security Project, and a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader. She is on the Board of Directors for System.com, a Trustee of the American University of Beirut where she serves on the budget and academy committees, and a director of the Digital Public Library of America. She has served in advisory and board roles for the Sunlight Foundation, the US Agency for Global Media’s Open Technology Fund, and the ITU’s GIGA connectivity partnership, among others.

Sonal Shah serves on United Way Worldwide’s Executive Leadership Team as Interim Executive Vice President of Worldwide Network Advancement. She leads the U.S. and International Network teams and works closely with United Way’s network of 1,600 affiliates to advance access to healthcare, financial security, and educational opportunities around the world. Ms. Shah is a global leader in social impact and innovation, with more than 25 years of experience in academia, government, philanthropy, and the private sector. Prior to her role with United Way, Ms. Shah founded and led The Asian American Foundation, raising over $1 billion in what became the largest philanthropic effort serving the Asian American community to date. Ms. Shah also started and led Georgetown University’s Beeck Center for Social Impact and Innovation for over seven years; served as the Deputy Assistant to the President and Director of the Office of Social Innovation to the President in 2009; led Google’s Global Development Initiatives; and developed and implemented Goldman Sachs’ environmental strategy. She has significant experience working internationally, including as Chief of Operations for the Center for Global Development. In addition, she served as an economist at the Department of Treasury where she helped to set up the central bank in Bosnia, worked for post-conflict reconstruction in Kosovo, and implemented innovative poverty reduction strategies in Africa. In 2021, Ms. Shah was appointed by the President to serve as the Chief Commissioner on the President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders, and serves on the Homeland Security Advisory Council. She sits on the boards of Oxfam America, the UBS Optimus Foundation, The Century Foundation, and the National Democratic Institute, along with serving as an adviser to Pinterest, Apollo Global Management, and Georgetown University. 

For the full list of Board members, please visit: https://www.consumerreports.org/cro/about-us/our-people/our-board/index.htm

About the Board

Consumer Reports is governed by a board of volunteer directors. A slate of nominees is selected by the Board of Directors and elected to the Board annually by Consumer Reports members for a three-year term. Nominees, who are self-nominated, or nominated by current Board members or staff, must have no conflicts of interest with commercial, business, manufacturing, or financial enterprises that could reasonably affect their independent judgment as directors. Board members receive no compensation, but are reimbursed for meeting expenses.