Aileen S Lee Named President of the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation

PALO ALTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Board of Trustees of the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation announced today the appointment of Aileen S Lee as the foundation’s next president, effective January 1, 2026. She will succeed Harvey V. Fineberg who has served as president since 2015.

Lee, who has held several senior leadership roles since joining the Foundation in 2002, is currently chief of programs, where she is responsible for more than $500 million in annual outcomes-driven grantmaking for scientific discovery, environmental conservation, and the special character of the Bay Area.

“We are thrilled to announce Aileen’s appointment as the foundation’s next president,” said Ken Moore, chair of the Board of Trustees. “Her deep understanding of our culture and history, strategic insight, and record of impact make her the ideal leader for the foundation’s next chapter. Under her leadership, the foundation will continue to strengthen its ability to meet emerging challenges across science, conservation, and philanthropy, creating lasting benefit for future generations.”

“Aileen's strategic acumen, intellectual agility, and results-oriented mindset made her stand out among the many accomplished leaders we considered,” said Ellen Ochoa, trustee and chair of the Presidential Search Committee. “She has demonstrated the ability to lead with integrity, build trust, and catalyze partnerships in order to produce impact. We are excited to see her guide the foundation with vision and purpose into the future.”

As chief of programs, Lee oversees all grantmaking portfolios, leading initiatives that have advanced environmental conservation, supported groundbreaking scientific research, and strengthened public-private partnerships. She has served on the foundation’s Executive Committee, represented the organization in key national and international forums, and led the foundation’s engagement in key public, private, and philanthropic partnerships such as Legacy Landscapes, the Seed Fund for Country Packages for Forests, Nature, and Climate, and the SPACES consortium.

“I am deeply honored to have been chosen to lead the Moore Foundation,” said Lee. “This organization’s mission, and the legacy of Gordon and Betty Moore, have inspired me throughout my career. I look forward to building on the foundation’s tradition of rigorous, outcomes-focused philanthropy and working alongside our extraordinary staff, grantees, and partners to achieve meaningful and lasting impact.”

“Aileen brings the perfect combination of forward-looking vision and deep alignment with the foundation’s core values,” said outgoing President Harvey V. Fineberg. “Inspired by Gordon Moore’s belief in ‘winning rather than losing slowly,’ she embodies the foundation’s commitment to pursuing what matters most – advancing bold, evidence-based solutions in science, environmental conservation, and the Bay Area.”

Before joining the foundation, Aileen was an associate principal at McKinsey & Company, where she led client engagements in strategy, operations, and organizational effectiveness across multiple sectors. She serves on the boards of the Climate and Land Use Alliance, iNaturalist, the Legacy Landscapes Fund, and the Marin Community Foundation, and has held board leadership roles with several other organizations. Aileen is a native of Long Island, New York and holds a B.A. in political science and East Asian studies from Yale University and a J.D. from Harvard Law School. She resides in Los Altos Hills with her husband, Robert Carlson, and two children, Donovan and Autumn.

Gordon and Betty Moore established the foundation in 2000 to create positive outcomes for future generations. In pursuit of that vision, we advance scientific discovery, environmental conservation, and the special character of the San Francisco Bay Area. It is one of the nation’s leading philanthropies with an endowment of approximately $12 billion and annual grantmaking exceeding $500 million. Visit Moore.org and follow @MooreFound.

For more information, visit www.moore.org.