Geetha Murali

Dr. Geetha Murali is Chief Executive Officer of Room to Read, a global education organization advancing children's literacy and gender equality. Since becoming CEO in 2018, she has led the organization's global growth, expanding its reach to 29 countries and helping benefit more than 60 million children through scalable, evidence-based education programs delivered in partnership with governments and local communities. With more than 25 years of experience spanning the corporate and nonprofit sectors, Dr. Murali is an internationally recognized leader in education, systems change, public-private partnerships, and organizational scale. Prior to joining Room to Read in 2009, she held roles with GlaxoSmithKline, Chiron, Adobe Systems, and the American India Foundation. Dr. Murali is a frequent speaker on global education, leadership, and social impact, and her work has been featured by BBC, Bloomberg, CNBC, and other international media. She is the recipient of numerous honors, including being named to CNBC's inaugural Changemakers list, recognized as one of 50 Outstanding Asian Americans in Business, receiving the YPO Global Impact Award, and being recognized by WIRED as a leader shaping the next 25 years. She was also knighted by the King of Cambodia for her contributions to education. Dr. Murali holds a master's degree in biostatistics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and master's and doctoral degrees in South Asian politics from UC Berkeley.

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