John M. Fahey is chairman emeritus of the

National Geographic Society The National Geographic Society, headquartered in Washington, D.C., United States, is one of the largest nonprofit scientific and educational organizations in the world. Founded in 1888, its interests include geography, archaeology, natural sc ...

. He was chief executive officer of the National Geographic Society from March 1998 to December 2013 and president of the organization from March 1998 to December 2010.

''National Geographic Society''

During his tenure as president and CEO, Fahey led an evolution of the National Geographic Society, including its entry into cable television with the National Geographic Channels, currently available in more than 440 million homes in 171 countries in 48 languages; the international growth of ''National Geographic'' magazine, now published in English and 40 local-language editions; and the extension of National Geographic content into virtually every aspect of digital media. In addition to continuing the Society's efforts to improve geographic literacy, Fahey guided the significant expansion of the Society's Mission Programs during the past decade, including the creation of the National Geographic Explorers-in-Residence, Fellows and Emerging Explorers programs. Fahey also spearheaded the Society's move into the creation of regional grant-making programs around the world, beginning in Northern Europe and Asia. In 2011, he received

Peru Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the south and west by the Pac ...

's highest civilian award, " Orden del Sol del Peru", for his and National Geographic's role in helping retrieve a collection of ancient artifacts taken from

Machu Picchu Machu Picchu is a 15th-century Inca citadel located in the Eastern Cordillera of southern Peru on a mountain ridge at . Often referred to as the "Lost City of the Incas", it is the most familiar icon of the Inca Empire. It is located in the ...

in 1912. Fahey joined National Geographic on April 1, 1996, as the first president and chief executive officer of National Geographic Ventures, the nonprofit Society's wholly owned, taxable subsidiary. Prior to that, he was chairman, president and CEO of Time Life Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Time Warner Inc., for seven years. He worked previously for Home Box Office, where he was instrumental in the start up of CINEMAX. He also was a circulation manager for ''Time'' magazine. He later became a director of Time Inc. after its separation from Time Warner, and eventually served as its non-executive chairman for a year before its sale to

Meredith Corporation Meredith Corporation was an American media conglomerate based in Des Moines, Iowa, that owned newspapers, magazines, television stations, and websites. Its publications had a readership of more than 120 million and paid circulation of more than ...

in January 2018. In February 2014,

President Obama Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. Ob ...

appointed Fahey to a six-year term on the Smithsonian Board of Regents, the governing body of the Smithsonian Institution. He also serves on the board and executive committee of the

Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History The National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) is a natural history museum administered by the Smithsonian Institution, located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., United States. It has free admission and is open 364 days a year. With ...

as well as the boards of Johnson Outdoors Inc. and Lindblad Expeditions.

Personal life

Born in New York City, Fahey received his B.S. in engineering from

Manhattan College Manhattan University (previously Manhattan College) is a private, Catholic university in New York City. Originally established in 1853 by the De La Salle Christian Brothers (Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools) as an academy fo ...

in 1973 and his

M.B.A. A Master of Business Administration (MBA) is a professional degree focused on business administration. The core courses in an MBA program cover various areas of business administration; elective courses may allow further study in a particular a ...

from the

University of Michigan The University of Michigan (U-M, U of M, or Michigan) is a public university, public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the state. The University of Mi ...

. In 2008, he received the David D. Alger Alumni Achievement Award from the University of Michigan's

Ross School of Business The University of Michigan Ross School of Business (branded as Michigan Ross) is the business school of the University of Michigan, a Public university, public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The school was originally established ...

. Fahey was selected as one of ''Advertising Age''s top 100 marketers and by ''Irish American'' magazine as one of the top 100 Irish Americans. He and his wife, Heidi, live in Washington, D.C. They have three kids: CJ, Kenny, and Allie (Allison).

References

, Succeeded by

Gary Knell Gary Evan Knell (born 27 February 1954) is a senior advisor at the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) in Media and Social Impact. He was previously the Chairman of National Geographic Partners. Formerly, he was president and CEO of the National Geogr ...

, Succeeded by

Jean Case Jean Case (previously Villanueva and Wackes, born 1959) is an American businesswoman, author, and philanthropist who is chair of the board of National Geographic, CEO of Case Impact Network, and CEO of the Case Foundation. She is married to AOL ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fahey, John M. National Geographic Society Manhattan College alumni Recipients of the Order of the Sun of Peru Living people Ross School of Business alumni Businesspeople from New York City Year of birth missing (living people)