Walter Isaacson Named President And CEO of the Aspen Institute

1/13/2003

From: James M. Spiegelman of The Aspen Institute, 202-736-3849

WASHINGTON, Jan. 13 -- William E. Mayer, chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Aspen Institute, announced today the appointment of Walter Isaacson as president and CEO of the Aspen Institute. Isaacson has been chairman and CEO of the CNN News Group, a company of AOL Time Warner. Isaacson will be the 10th president of the Institute. He begins his position in the spring of 2003. He succeeds Elmer W. Johnson, who resigned in August 2002.

Isaacson, a former Rhodes scholar, had served as editorial director of Time, Inc. Prior to that, he was managing editor of Time magazine. He is the author of an acclaimed biography of former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger.

"The Aspen Institute is fortunate to be handing over the reins of leadership to a person of Walter Isaacson's intellectual stature, integrity and vision," said Mayer. He added: "Walter is a true Renaissance man with a genuine appreciation for the Institute's five-decade-old mission of seeking answers to society's most vexing problems through informed dialogue and inquiry. Walter's creativity and breadth of talents will serve us well in a challenging albeit promising era."

"I have valued my varied experiences at CNN and Time, but it is a time in my life to move to a different role. The Aspen Institute is uniquely positioned to make a key difference on policy issues that truly matter to people. Joining the Aspen Institute offers me the chance to return to doing what I love most--writing as well as engaging leaders to confront the critical issues of our day. I am looking forward to working with my new colleagues on the Board and throughout the Aspen Institute community to support the vital contributions that this organization makes to society through constructive dialogue and an exploration of underlying values. I am honored to become a part of this distinguished institution," said Isaacson.

Isaacson was born on May 20, 1952, in New Orleans. He began his journalism career as a reporter for The Sunday Times of London and then as a reporter and city hall columnist for the New Orleans States-Item/Times-Picayune.

Isaacson joined Time in 1978 as a national affairs writer in New York, then moved to Washington as a political correspondent. He subsequently became the magazine's Nation editor and an assistant managing editor.

In 1993, he was named the editor of New Media for Time Inc. In that role he helped launch the Internet service Pathfinder and the cable online service RoadRunner. AdWeek magazine named Isaacson "Editor of the Year" in 1995.

In December 1995, Isaacson was named managing editor of Time. In addition to running the weekly magazine and its international editions, he also oversaw Time for Kids, TIME online and other franchises. He initiated a number of special projects including the TIME 100, an end-of-the-century joint project with CBS -- involving a bestselling book, six special issues and television shows -- that looked at the most influential people of the century.

In July 2001, Isaacson was named the chairman and CEO of CNN. In that capacity, he has overseen its numerous networks and services, including CNN US, Headline News, CNN International, CNNfn, CNN en Espanol, CNN.com, CNN Airport Network, CNN Radio, and CNN Newsource. CNN won four Emmy Awards for news and documentaries in 2002. In studies by the Pew Research Center, CNN was rated as the most credible TV or print news source in 2002 and as the network that did the best job of covering the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. In 2001 and 2002, CNN had its highest ratings of any year since competition began in the cable news business.

Isaacson is a graduate of Harvard College and of Pembroke College of Oxford University. He is the co-author of The Wise Men: Six Friends and the World They Made, (Simon & Schuster, 1986) a book about American statesmen and the Cold War, and the author of Kissinger: A Biography (Simon & Schuster, 1992). He is finishing a biography of Benjamin Franklin, which is due to be published this Fall.

The Aspen Institute maintains its headquarters in Washington, DC, with offices in New York, NY and campuses in Aspen, Colorado and on the Wye River on Maryland's Eastern Shore. The Institute operates internationally through a network of partners in France, Italy, Germany and Japan. Through its seminars for executives and young leaders, and policy programs in fields ranging from the environment, the media to national security, the Institute fosters enlightened, morally responsible leadership to address the foremost challenges of the new century.