New York Academy of Sciences Announces Leadership Succession Plan
Published July 20, 2017

After 15 years as President and CEO of the New York Academy of Sciences, Ellis Rubinstein has announced his leadership succession plan to the Academy’s Board of Governors and staff. In order to ensure a smooth transition as the 200-year-old Academy kicks off its third century, Mr. Rubinstein will remain at the helm until a new CEO is identified. Executive search firm Russell Reynolds has been engaged to lead the search.
Once the Academy’s new CEO is in place, Mr. Rubinstein will continue to lead the world’s most prestigious prize program for young scientists, the Blavatnik Awards, as they expand beyond the United States to the United Kingdom and Israel. And he will continue to play a leadership role in the Academy’s landmark Global STEM Alliance.
Mr. Rubinstein took over the reins of the Academy in 2002 at a time when the institution was near bankruptcy and its future was uncertain. But a decision to sell the Academy’s long time home on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, proved to be serendipitous, providing crucial working capital to invest in the Academy’s infrastructure for long-term growth. Under Mr. Rubinstein’s leadership, the Academy has undertaken a series of transformational initiatives which will carry it forward into its third century. These include: partnering with Len Blavatnik to found the Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists, now in its 10th year, creating the Sackler Institute for Nutrition Science with the support of the Mortimer D. Sackler Foundation, and launching the Global STEM Alliance, which has attracted over 300 partners in 100 countries and is making the Academy’s STEM mentoring programs available to tens of thousands of young people around the world.
More information about Ellis Rubinstein may be found here.
To view the CEO position specification, click here.