PeaceTech Lab Appoints Diane Strahan as New Member to the Board of Directors
July 7, 2020 (Washington, D.C.) – PeaceTech Lab, a leading international peacebuilding organization, announced the newest appointment to its Board of Directors, D.C.-based executive, Diane Strahan. With over 25 years of global leadership experience in privately held and publicly traded companies and nonprofits in the Internet, media, telecom and mobile sectors, Strahan has successfully led digital transformation initiatives for both disruptors and established market leaders. She currently advises start-up technology CEOs on their go-to market strategies, as well as senior executives of Fortune 1000 companies in delivering measurable impact in both commercial and non-profit sectors.
“We are very grateful to have Diane join the board, especially as we focus on domestic peacebuilding. Throughout her impressive career, Diane has consistently advocated for the thoughtful application of technology and worked in service of the common good. Her experience and commitment to innovation will be invaluable to PeaceTech Lab,” said Nicholas Donofrio, Chairman of the Board.
Strahan was most recently the Chief Operating Officer at the Motion Picture Association of America (MPA) as well as a Board Member of the MPA serving alongside Senator Christopher Dodd and the CEOs of America’s largest studios. Before that, she was the Senior Vice President and General Manager for Mobile, and Internet Registry Services at Neustar, where she had profit and loss responsibility for Neustar’s mobile, digital marketing and Internet domain name services. Previously she served in executive marketing, sales and GM roles in Fortune 1000, mid-cap and emerging growth companies in telecommunications, Internet, mobile, and media sectors. She has been a key contributor in launching IPOs, developing domestic and global brands, scaling high-tech growth businesses, and leading marketing and business transformations at organizations including Neustar, TechnoServe, AOL, CareerBuilder and MCI. She also served on the global and North American boards of the Mobile Marketing Association (MMA).
On joining the Board at PeaceTech Lab, Strahan says, “I’m thrilled to be part of the Board of Directors at PTL, an organization with incredibly talented staff and a vital mission. What attracted me most was PTL’s localized approach in working with organizations on the ground to solve violent conflict specific to their community by leveraging best practices in applying technology, media and data to accelerate peacebuilding. The programs and tools PTL provide have saved and improved so many lives -- I can’t think of anything more important. I look forward to offering my expertise and support as well as learning how we can all do a better job in achieving a more peaceful and collaborative world.”
Strahan has been a major supporter, board member and on the staff of nonprofits serving the developing world and women’s issues. She also served on the board of the MPA, the global and North American boards of the Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) and is considered a leading authority on mobile, branding and interactive marketing and has won numerous marketing and PR campaign awards. Strahan holds a Master of Business Administration from George Washington University, and a Bachelor of Science and Marketing/Communications, Summa Cum Laude, from Syracuse University.
“Diane is a hard-driving COO with deep expertise in the tech world, as well as marketing and branding. For several months, Diane has served as a key advisor to our team, and her transition to the Board will only amplify her impact. She is a focused, forward-thinking leader who is going to be such a great asset for us, especially in this critical 2020 year,” said Sheldon Himelfarb, President and CEO of PeaceTech Lab.
Strahan will join the following members on PeaceTech Lab’s Board:
Chairman Nicholas Donofrio, a 44-year IBM veteran who served as the EVP of Innovation and Technology.
Vice Chairman Dr. Bernard Amadei, the founding President of Engineers Without Borders and Professor of Civil Engineering at the University of Colorado at Boulder.
Sanjiv Ahuja, Chairman of Tillman Global Holdings (TGH) and former CEO of Orange S.A.
Nancy Lindborg, President of the United States Institute of Peace and member of the Council on Foreign Relations.
John Momoh, Chairman of the Channels Media Group and Founder and CEO of the award-winning Channels Television in Nigeria.
Colin Rule, Vice President of Online Dispute Resolution (ODR) at Tyler Technologies and the co-founder of Modria, Inc, one of the first global ODR companies.
Nancy Zirkin, Senior advisor and former Executive Vice President for the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, the nation's oldest and largest civil and human rights coalition.
The Lab is currently focused on two new initiatives: the COVID-19 Violence Tracker, which tracks, categorizes, and visualizes the violence the world is experiencing as a result of the global pandemic, and the Road to Equal Justice, a U.S. based 16-city initiative using media, technology, and data to accelerate and amplify efforts for racial justice and peacebuilding. In addition, the Lab continues development of its vital hate speech lexicons and PeaceTech Exchange program.
PeaceTech Lab is an international nonprofit established by the United States Institute of Peace, dedicated to using media, data, and technology to prevent conflict and build peaceful, thriving communities around the world. Visit: www.peacetechlab.org.