The appointment of Bernadette Meehan as the new CEO of the Wikimedia Foundation was announced on December 9 and she started work on January 20. The first part of this interview was published in a rush on December 17. Bernadette now returns with time enough to address the remaining questions in depth. - S

Signpost: Your qualifications from working for the US State Department in the Foreign Service culminating as the US Ambassador to Chile are very impressive. But how will the skills you developed there help you run a large non-profit organization dependent on volunteers to accomplish our mission?

Bernadette: My path to the Wikimedia Foundation has been unconventional—but every chapter has prepared me for this moment. Along the way, I've developed skills and experiences that closely align with the mission of the Wikimedia Foundation, Wikimedia projects, and the role of CEO. Just as importantly, I feel a deep connection to the Foundation's values and community ethos.

In diplomacy and at the Obama Foundation —a global nonprofit—collaboration has been my compass. Diplomats are constantly dealing with seemingly intractable problems. I've built trust in complex environments, brought diverse stakeholders together, and found common ground across differences. Serving as Ambassador and leading a large embassy reinforced lessons I carry with me every day: disagreement isn't failure; open-mindedness is strength; facts and transparency build trust; respectful debate sharpens outcomes; and principles must guide not just what we do, but how we do it.

I've also managed large teams, significant budgets, and difficult tradeoffs—experience that feels especially relevant as the Wikimedia movement navigates growing external challenges. We cannot go it alone. The important decisions ahead will call on us to work together with care, thoughtfulness, and shared purpose to shape our future.

When I look at the Wikimedia Foundation and community, I see our shared commitments: mission-driven work, broad participation, intellectual curiosity, principled action, and optimism in the face of complexity. Some of my proudest accomplishments have been partnerships forged across divides and grounded in shared purpose.

Each step of my journey has stretched me—strengthening resilience, humility, innovation, and kindness. I've grown alongside extraordinary teams, striving to practice servant leadership and remain a lifelong learner. I enter this next chapter at the Foundation confident in what I bring and humbled by how much I have to learn from this remarkable community.

If you'd like to learn more about my journey—and three past projects of mine that echo the spirit of Wikimedians' work—I invite you to read the Diff blog about my appointment from December 2025.

Signpost:There are diverse opinions about artificial intelligence in the Wikipedia community, but many Wikipedians have expressed opposition to using AI for Wikipedia articles. Can you tell us your views on using AI on Wikipedia? Are there other concerns you have about AI?

Bernadette: I respect the care and thoughtfulness with which Wikimedians are approaching this topic.

In my first 30 days as CEO, I've spoken with 229 Wikimedians—at gatherings like Wikimedia Futures Lab and in one-on-one conversations. Unsurprisingly, AI has surfaced in many of these discussions, with a wide range of thoughtful perspectives. I've also been learning more about ongoing conversations across communities.

My goal in these early days is simple: to listen. As I do, I'm grounded in a core belief—knowledge is human. At a time when synthetic and unreliable content is proliferating, human-created knowledge on Wikipedia is more essential than ever, even as it becomes less visible in an AI-shaped landscape.

Last year, the Foundation shared its AI strategy for supporting editors, centered on putting humans first. This aligns with my view. The question is not whether AI should exist within our ecosystem—it already does—but how we choose to engage with it.

The concerns I've heard are real: machine-generated content can accelerate disinformation, introduce security risks, erode trust, and increase pressures on volunteers. At the same time, AI offers meaningful benefits. Used responsibly, it can help editors identify vandalism, detect bias, improve accessibility through translation and summarization, and reduce repetitive tasks that may contribute to volunteer burnout.

AI is rapidly reshaping the information environment. If we do not proactively decide how to work effectively in an AI-dominated world—guided by the principle that AI must not replace human knowledge—we risk being sidelined or replaced by systems that do not share our commitments.

I look forward to continuing this dialogue with communities worldwide so that together we can safeguard what makes Wikipedia unique and important—and protect the integrity of human-created knowledge so it thrives in the AI era.

Signpost: Writing an encyclopedia is an intellectual endeavor. What books are you reading now? What other intellectual activities do you use to give you a break from your job?

Bernadette: Reading is my favorite hobby, and libraries and bookstores are my happy places. My nightstand holds a teetering stack of books and magazines, and the rest of my house isn't much different—clusters on shelves, tables, more than the occasional floor pile. A Foundation colleague recently introduced me to the term Tsundoku (積ん読): the art of acquiring books and letting them patiently wait their turn. Another colleague put it even more plainly: "Buying books and reading books are two different hobbies." I fully embrace and practice this philosophy.

On my nightstand right now:

• Some People Need Killing by Patricia Evangelista
• Pandora's Jar: Women in the Greek Myths by Natalie Haynes
• Leaders: Myth and Reality by Stan McChrystal
• The Bee Sting by Paul Murray

Outside of work, my world revolves around my family—my very patient husband and our amazing seven-year-old daughter—so lately I'm immersed in K-Pop Demon Hunters. When I carve out a little time for myself, I love to swim (for me exercise = focus and clarity and less stress), tackle the New York Times Spelling Bee puzzle, watch a good thriller on streaming, and plan future adventures—especially road trips.

Signpost: Different CEOs will naturally have different priorities. What's the most important thing that you want to make sure you accomplish during your tenure at the WMF?

Bernadette: I step into this role committed to building on the progress that has come before me. I believe leadership is a phase, not a possession. A leader is a custodian for a period of time—entrusted with care, continuity, and responsibility—not an owner. My role is to work alongside this community so that together, we leave it stronger for those who come next.

As we mark 25 years of Wikipedia, my central focus is this: how do we ensure that the next 25 years remain deeply human?

We are living through a profound shift in how information is created, distributed, and consumed. In a world increasingly saturated with AI-generated content, human-created knowledge is more valuable than ever. The power of Wikimedia projects lies not only in the information they contain, but in how that knowledge is made—through transparent volunteer effort, debate, sourcing, consensus, and shared principles. Protecting and elevating that human foundation is essential.

That means adapting to changes in search, technology, and content reuse without losing what makes us distinct. Our reuse strategy must center open knowledge and the volunteers who create it. As Wikimedia content travels across platforms and informs new technologies, we must ensure the human judgment, care, and community processes behind it are respected and sustained.

Equally important to me is preserving the joy of participation. People don't just contribute to Wikimedia projects because they're useful—they contribute because it's meaningful. There is real satisfaction in improving an article, resolving a debate, sharing an image, mentoring a new contributor, leading within a community, or seeing knowledge made more accessible. As we evolve, we must ensure that this joy—the sense of purpose, curiosity, and belonging—remains at the heart of the experience.

If we can safeguard human knowledge, strengthen our communities, and keep participation vibrant and rewarding, we won't just sustain Wikipedia for another 25 years—we will help it flourish for generations to come.

Signpost: This may be the most important question. How can Wikipedians and others in the Wikimedia movement help you be successful in your new job?

Bernadette: I love this question—because the human connection and spirit of collaboration are two of the main reasons I was drawn to the Wikimedia movement.

So my number one request to Wikimedians is simple: engage with me. You know your communities best. You understand the challenges and opportunities facing our projects. Your insight will help shape my path forward.

I'm calling this listening, learning, and engaging tour "Around the Puzzle Globe"—meeting Wikimedians virtually and in person across regions and projects. You can also reach me on my talk page.

Everywhere I go, I'm starting with three questions:

• What brought you to this movement?
• How do we stay relevant over the next 25 years?
• What three Wiki resources should I read first?

I'm here to listen, to learn, and to puzzle through the future—together.

Signpost: Thank you, Bernadette.