Charlottesville, Virginia
Toyosi Ogunseye, a 2014 Mandela Washington Fellow, has been announced as the president and chief executive officer of the Presidential Precinct.
The Presidential Precinct in a statement on its website said the organisation is proud to announce Toyosi Ogunseye as its new President & CEO.
According to the statement, Ogunseye is only the second to take this role at the Presidential Precinct, following nearly a decade of transformational leadership from founding director Neal Piper.
The statement noted that few individuals are closer to the mission of the Presidential Precinct than Ogunseye; she began her tenure with the organization as a 2014 Mandela Washington Fellow and has engaged consistently as a program alumna since.
Reacting to the development, Ogunseye said “I’m honored to have this opportunity to lead such an impactful organization 9 years after I first walked through its doors,” said Ogunseye. “I look forward to innovative collaborations with our staff, Board, program alumni, and community partners in Williamsburg and Charlottesville. Working together, we will expand and elevate tools and resources that have distinguished the Presidential Precinct as a transformative public diplomacy organization.
Ogunseye has worked for about two decades of leadership experience in journalism, having her recent role as a senior news editor for News and Commissioning at the BBC. She began her tenure with the BBC as Head of Language Services for West Africa. Prior to joining BBC, Ogunseye was the first female editor in the 50-year history of Punch Newspaper, Nigeria’s most widely read newspaper. In addition, she recently concluded her term as Vice President of the World Editors Forum and Board member of the World Association of News Publishers.
Her appointment follows a competitive international search campaign led by the Precinct’s Executive Committee in partnership with Lincoln Leadership.
“Toyosi’s experience combined with partnerships and resources that we have established over the past ten years will guarantee a bright future at the Precinct,” said Jim Murray, the organization’s Founder and Board Chair. “We began this search process by looking far and wide; little did we know that after six-months of exhaustive outreach and networking, one of our own would be stepping in to lead. I am grateful for Toyosi’s longstanding commitment to the Precinct. We have much to look forward to.”
The Presidential Precinct engages and inspires emerging leaders to address the most pressing challenges in their countries. Over 1,300 leaders from more than 162 countries have joined the Presidential Precinct’s programs and returned home to invest their knowledge, expertise, and networks to transform the lives of millions worldwide.
