Wikimedia Foundation Governance Committee/Board recruitment

One of the tasks of the Wikimedia Foundation Governance Committee (the "Committee") is to "recruit and recommend for full Board review and consideration candidates for Board-selected trustee seats". This page contains information related to the recruitment for Board-Selected Trustees.

2023 Profile needed

Wikimedia Foundation Audit Committee's purpose is "to assist the Board of Trustees ("Board") of the Wikimedia Foundation ("Foundation") in its general oversight of the Foundation's annual plan and budgetary planning, accounting and financial reporting processes, audits of the financial statements, and internal control, and audit functions". The full charter is here. Key characteristics for "Audit Committee Chair" profile include:

• The Wikimedia Foundation’s board culture is characterized by collaboration, mutual respect, intellectual rigor, curiosity, and a commitment to the core mission of free knowledge. Audit Chair candidates will demonstrate the behaviors and characteristics that will cohere with this culture.
• The Chair of the Audit Committee will bring financial experience necessary to execute the role’s fiduciary responsibility, offer counsel to the Foundation’s talented finance team, and shape the organization’s financial narrative to its many stakeholders. Ideally, candidates will have expertise in both strategic and operational finance and will have held financial leadership roles in organizations of significant size and complexity, with evidence of managing diverse stakeholders.
• Previous board experience as a Trustee or Director, with attendant sophistication around governance best practices and processes, is desirable.
• The board is open to individuals from a variety of sectors, including tech, professional services, higher education, and NGOs. A demonstrable commitment to mission-driven or not-for-profit organizations in an executive or non-executive capacity is ideal.
• The board is seeking candidates who will bring diverse perspectives, particularly on the dimensions of geography, gender, race, ethnicity, viewpoint, age, lived experience, etc.
• Ideally, candidates’ lived experience and professional journeys will have exposed them to geographically and demographically diverse individuals and communities, giving them a global mindset and the ability to work effectively cross-culturally.
• An enthusiasm to work collectively in support of the Foundation’s goals through the board’s composition, which brings together a community founder, elected members from Wikimedia’s volunteer communities, and board-selected appointees.
• Wikimedia Foundation Trustees are highly committed and dedicate a significant amount of time and intellectual energy to serving the Foundation and its mission. The Audit Chair will need the interest and capacity to do the same.

This is a volunteer role, and the appointment is for three years. The working language of the Board is English, so the candidate has to have fluency in English.

Please review the relevant documents about the Board and Foundation here: Bylaws, Conflict of Interest Policy, the Board of Trustees Code of Conduct, Board Handbook.

How to apply and refer candidates

The application process for Audit Chair candidates is now closed.

Next steps

The Governance Committee will review candidates after the deadline closes on July 31. If a candidate fits the qualifications of the position, a member of the Governance Committee will reach out to schedule a first round interview.

The full process is described here: Board of Trustees/Recruiting procedure.

See also

• Wikimedia Foundation Board Governance Committee/Board recruitment (2017-2018)
• 2017 Board Recruiting Candidate Packet ("Engaging New Communities", "Growing a Global Movement", "Social Sector Governance")
• 2018 Board Recruiting Candidate Packet ("Finance expert seat", Technology/organizational growth expert seat)