Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation Consolidates Grantmaking Leadership Under Aileen Lee

PALO ALTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation today announced the appointment of Aileen Lee as the chief program officer for the organization. Effective immediately, Lee will oversee the foundation’s core grantmaking programs, as well as the Grants Administration and Adaptive Management and Evaluation functions.

Since 2016, Lee has served as chief program officer for the Environmental Conservation Program. With the recently announced departure of Robert Kirshner, the chief program officer for the Science Program, the foundation president chose to streamline all grantmaking operations under a single leader.

“Aileen is uniquely equipped to lead our grantmaking functions at this important juncture in the foundation’s history,” said Harvey V. Fineberg, M.D., Ph.D., president of the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. “After nearly 20 years at the foundation, her knowledge of the foundation’s approach to philanthropy, her reputation within the sector, and her proven ability to advance our founders’ vision, make her the ideal choice for this role.”

“Gordon and Betty Moore set out an inspiring vision to create positive outcomes for future generations,” said Lee. “I look forward to assuming this new role as we continue our work to make their vision a reality.”

Prior to her role leading the Environmental Conservation Program, Aileen led what is now the Conservation and Markets Initiative and the foundation’s very first initiative, focused on wild salmon ecosystems. She currently serves on the boards of the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, Coral Reef Alliance, Biodiversity Funders Group, and the Climate and Land Use Alliance. She has previously served as chair of the board of the Environmental Grantmakers Association and treasurer of the Western Conservation Foundation.

Before joining the foundation in 2002, Aileen was an associate principal at McKinsey & Company where she led client engagements in strategy, operation, and organizational effectiveness across a wide range of sectors. She received a B.A. in political science and East Asian studies from Yale University. She is a member of the State Bar of California and received her J.D. from Harvard Law School.

With more than $9 billion in assets and an annual grantmaking budget of more than $400 million, the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation is one of the largest foundations in the United States.

The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation fosters path-breaking scientific discovery, environmental conservation, patient care improvements and preservation of the special character of the Bay Area. Visit www.moore.org or follow @MooreFound.