A Web Summit update

Web Summit CEO Katherine Maher has been announced as the new CEO of National Public Radio (NPR), America’s most trusted media organisation. We congratulate her on the incredibly prestigious and important role.

Katherine will remain on the Web Summit board of directors as a non-executive chair, bringing invaluable continuity, guidance and strategic insight to the executive team, and supporting Web Summit’s goals through 2024 and beyond. She will also continue with Web Summit as CEO through our inaugural Web Summit event in Doha, Qatar, before stepping down on March 1.

We are immensely grateful for the impactful time Katherine spent as Web Summit CEO. Katherine will continue to support Web Summit’s success as the company heads into an incredibly strong and promising 2024.

More than 12,000 attendees are already registered for Web Summit Qatar, far surpassing the original target of 7,500. The first-year event has confirmed Trevor Noah as a headline speaker, along with astronaut (and Deep Space Initiative founder and CEO) Sara Sabry, and Replit co-founder and CEO Amjad Masad. It has sold out its women in tech programme, startups programme and the entire show floor space, with more than 1,100 startups and partners exhibiting – double the numbers expected.

Similarly, Web Summit will see its most successful second-year event with Web Summit Rio in April of this year, set to gather 30,000 attendees – up from 21,000 in 2023 – and 200 partners from around the world.

In June, Web Summit’s North American event, Collision, will grow to 40,000 attendees.

“I have absolutely loved leading the Web Summit team. Even in a short space of time, I have seen the determination, passion and creativity across teams to continuously deliver incredible events to the world. While I’m sad to leave my position as CEO, I am thrilled to contribute in a different way as chair, continuing to work with the executive team through 2024,” Katherine said.

We are delighted to share that Web Summit chief events officer Craig Becker has been appointed as an executive board director. He will assume the executive director role on the board vacated by Web Summit CMTO Mike Sexton following the end of his four-year service in the position. Craig has produced Web Summit since 2012. His 30-year career spans theatre, conferences and exhibitions, TV, music and festivals, along with large-scale events all over the world, including the London 2012 Summer Olympics, the BRIT Awards, the MTV Europe Music Awards and the late Queen of the United Kingdom’s birthday.

NPR is an iconic American media institution and has a weekly audience of 44 million people. Katherine’s appointment at NPR comes at a critical time for public information and global events. With half the world heading to the polls in 2024, an informed electorate is more important than ever. Katherine’s career-long commitment to civic institutions and freedom of information made this opportunity to serve NPR’s mission unmissable.

Web Summit wishes Katherine every success in her new role, and looks forward to continuing working with her in her capacity as the chair of the Web Summit board of directors.

Main image of Web Summit’s Centre Stage: Web Summit