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PRESS RELEASE: The Commons Project Foundation Names Ruth Atherton Chief Legal Officer

Jul 29, 2021

PRESS RELEASE: The Commons Project Foundation Names Ruth Atherton Chief Legal Officer

Jul 29, 2021

Ruth Atherton Headshot 2-High Res (2).jpg

NEW YORK -- July 29, 2021 -- The Commons Project today announced the addition of Ruth Atherton PhD, JD, former Deputy General Counsel at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, to the executive team as Chief Legal Officer.

“We’re pleased to welcome Ruth Atherton to The Commons Project as Chief Legal Officer,” said Paul Meyer, CEO of The Commons Project Foundation. “Given her technical acumen and experience with driving forward innovative initiatives on a global scale, we’re thrilled to have her support as we scale the digital solutions that enable individuals to access and manage their own health information.”

During her time at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Ruth advised the foundation’s Global Health and Gender Equality divisions and led legal support for the Bill & Melinda Gates Medical Research Institute. As a sponsor of the foundation’s Global Access Team, Ruth helped create affordable access to technology and services for people most in need around the world. She has extensive international experience and a unique perspective on corporate social responsibility.

Ruth serves on the Board of Directors at BIO Ventures for Global Health as well as other corporate and non-profit boards. Previously, Ruth was Sr. Corporate and IP Counsel at Sanofi and Genzyme. She is a recipient of the National Law Journal IP Trailblazer Award, Corporate Counsel 100 Rising Stars Award, the Powerlist US Teams Award and a member of the International Law Association’s Global Health Law Committee.

About The Commons Project Foundation

A non-profit organization established with support from the Rockefeller Foundation, The Commons Project Foundation builds and operates digital platforms and services for the common good. Its mission-driven structure is designed to attract world-class talent to build and sustain digital public services in a way that serves people's interests above all. Beginning with health information, we are focused on empowering people to access and control their personal data and put it to use for their own benefit.