# Geetha Murali

> Dr. Geetha Murali is the chief executive officer of Room to Read, the global literacy and girls' education nonprofit headquartered in San Francisco. The first non-founder CEO of the organization, she leads a team of roughly 1,200 staff across 29 countries and a network of more than 20,000 partners and volunteers. Under her watch, Room to Read's programs have reached over 60 million children. A PhD in South Asian politics with a master's in biostatistics, she frames her work through a personal lens: her mother was nearly a child bride, and her family's trajectory shifted in a single generation.

- **Role:** Chief Executive Officer at Room to Read
- **Organizations:** Room to Read, GlaxoSmithKline (former), Chiron (former), American India Foundation (former), Adobe Systems (former), Global Business Coalition for Education
- **Nationality:** American (Indian heritage)
- **Education:** Master's in Biostatistics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Master's in South Asian Politics, University of California, Berkeley, PhD in South Asian Politics, University of California, Berkeley
- **Known for:** First non-founder CEO of Room to Read, Expanded Room to Read's reach to 29 countries and more than 60 million children benefited, Named to CNBC Changemakers list (2024)

## Career timeline

- **pre-2009** — Corporate roles at GlaxoSmithKline and Chiron; education-tech work with American India Foundation's Digital Equalizer Program and Adobe Youth Voices
- **2009** — Joined Room to Read
- **pre-2019** — Chief Development and Communications Officer at Room to Read, leading global fundraising, marketing, PR and communications across nine locations
- **2019** — Appointed Chief Executive Officer of Room to Read - the organization's first non-founder CEO
- **2024** — Named to CNBC's inaugural Changemakers list

## Achievements

- First non-founder CEO of Room to Read
- Expanded Room to Read's reach to 29 countries and more than 60 million children benefited
- Named to CNBC Changemakers list (2024)
- Recognized as one of 50 Outstanding Asian Americans in Business
- YPO Global Impact Award recipient
- Named a WIRED leader shaping the next 25 years
- Knighted by the King of Cambodia for contributions to education
- Recognized by former First Lady Michelle Obama for work on girls' education

## Latest updates

- **2024-11** — Published career advice piece with CNBC Make It on pushing past perceived limits.
- **2024-02** — Named to the inaugural CNBC Changemakers list.

## Links

- Website: https://roomtoread.org
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/geethamurali
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/roomtoread
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/roomtoread

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/geetha-murali
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-05-30