Helene Cooper and Margit Wennmachers Join GMF’s Board of Trustees

The German Marshall Fund’s board of trustees elects Pulitzer Prize-winning Pentagon correspondent and Silicon Valley strategist as its newest members.

WASHINGTON, DC —The German Marshall Fund of the United States is pleased to announce that Helene Cooper and Margit Wennmachers have joined its board of trustees.

“The GMF Board is delighted to welcome two strategic thinkers and gifted communicators who understand the importance of the transatlantic relationship at this historic juncture. Helene and Margit will help shape GMF’s long-term strategy of increasing policy impact, cultivating a new generation of transatlantic leaders, and strengthening democracy through greater civil society engagement,” said GMF Board Chair Robin West.

Helene Cooper is the Pentagon correspondent for The New York Times, having previously served as the paper’s White House correspondent and diplomatic correspondent. Her vivid 2015 frontline reporting on the Ebola virus’ impact on Africa, including on her homeland of Liberia, contributed to her team’s winning the Pultizer Prize for International Reporting. Her memoir, The House at Sugar Beach, details the consequences of the 1980 Liberian coup for her family. It is a National Books Critics Circle Award finalist.

Margit Wennmachers is an operating partner at Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), a preeminent Silicon Valley venture capital firm, and co-founder of The OutCast Agency, one of the technology industry’s top public relations firms. She has received praise for having a “sixth sense for communications strategy, which has helped her educate the world about the revolution technology is powering”. As a German-American whose family was a receipient of Marshall Plan aid, Margit is passionate about continuing to strengthen U.S.-German relations.

“Because defense policy and technological innovation are two of the most powerful drivers of the transatlantic relationship, Margit and Helene are perfectly placed to ensure that GMF is an effective communicator to transatlantic and global audiences on these issues. GMF is incredibly fortunate to have them join our family as we celebrate the organization’s 50th anniversary and prepare for our next 50 years of service,” said GMF President Heather A. Conley.

Helene Cooper and Margit Wennmachers were elected to GMF’s board by unanimous vote. Their term of service is effective immediately.

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Contact: Angelina Sutalo, Senior Press Officer; Irvin McCullough, Press Officer

Email: [email protected]; [email protected]

Phone: +32 486 514 479; +1 202-876-6605

The German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF) is a non-partisan policy organization committed to the idea that the United States and Europe are stronger together. GMF champions the principles of democracy, human rights, and international cooperation, which have served as the bedrock of peace and prosperity since the end of World War II, but are under increasing strain. GMF works on issues critical to transatlantic interests in the 21st century, including the future of democracy, security and geopolitics, alliances and the rise of China, and technology and innovation. By drawing on and fostering a community of people with diverse life experiences and political perspectives, GMF pursues its mission by driving the policy debate through cutting-edge analysis and convening, fortifying civil society, and cultivating the next generation of leaders on both sides of the Atlantic.