LOS ALTOS, CA, July 22, 2024–The Heising-Simons Foundation today named Jennifer Shipp as Acting President and CEO, effective immediately.

Sushma Raman is stepping down from her role as President and CEO to pursue other opportunities and will remain associated with the Foundation as a strategic advisor to the Board through the end of 2024.

“Sushma’s tenure saw us embark on important new areas of work, most notably the CEO Fund on technology and society. We wish her well in her future endeavors,” said Board Chair Liz Simons.

Ms. Shipp joined the Foundation as General Counsel in April 2020 and has both overseen its legal affairs and provided expertise and guidance for its strategy development, grantmaking, governance, and other areas.

She previously served as senior counsel at the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, where she provided legal support for the Global Development and Population program, and managed legal issues for the grants management and information technology teams.

“A consummate team player, Jennifer has been integral to safeguarding the Foundation and our grantmaking and is committed to our values and goals,”  Ms. Simons said. “Jennifer has the Board’s full trust and support as she enters this role, and she will work with us to steward the Foundation’s impact and vision.”

Ms. Shipp said, “I am honored to guide us through this moment with the trust and confidence of the Board, and I look forward to continuing to work closely with everyone at the Foundation and all our grantees in a spirit of collaboration, transparency, and inclusion.”

The Heising-Simons Foundation is a family foundation based in Los Altos and San Francisco, California. The Foundation works with its many partners to advance sustainable solutions in climate and clean energy, enable groundbreaking research in science, enhance the education of our youngest learners, and support human rights for all people. Since 2007, the Foundation has awarded more than $1.2 billion to organizations and partners.

Mark Heising and Liz Simons each grew up with a tradition of giving, learning about the importance of the communities that surrounded them, and about the value of philanthropy. In 2007, they established the Foundation, and were later joined on the Board by their daughter, Caitlin Heising. In 2016, Liz and Mark joined the Giving Pledge, publicly committing the majority of their wealth to philanthropic causes.