Joumana El Zein Khoury named new executive director of the World Press Photo Foundation

A different world has presented itself in recent months. While the Foundation’s mission remains to connect the world to the stories that matter, the COVID-19 pandemic and other global developments have shifted the way World Press Photo fulfills this mission. Now more than ever, supporting the conditions for freedom of expression, freedom of inquiry, and freedom of the press is a fundamental part of the work. Building on a strong foundation, Joumana El Zein Khoury’s role will be to steer and develop the organization for the future.

Guido van Nispen, chair of the World Press Photo Foundation’s supervisory board says: “As an organization always striving to connect the world to the stories that matter, we continuously need to stay attune to the prevailing realities and adjust the way we work to a fast-changing environment. We are delighted to announce today that Joumana will join us as the new executive director. We are confident that her knowledge, experience and engagement will be strong assets for the foundation to uphold the relevance of its work, pursue future endeavors and live up to the global perspective.”

Joumana El Zein Khoury has been the director of the Prince Claus Fund for Culture and Development since 2015. During her tenure, she has established the Prince Claus Fund as an internationally renowned institution supporting culture under pressure and she has been crucial to strengthening the Prince Claus Fund’s fundraising capabilities.

She has over 15 years of experience in international cultural exchange, developing programs and fostering new talent. She was previously the director of the Lutfia Rabbani Foundation for Euro-Arab exchange and has worked with organizations like the Arab Image Foundation and the Baalbeck Festival. She is a board member of the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA) and the Lutfia Rabbani Foundation.

Joumana El Zein Khoury says: “In my job as director of an organization that supports culture under pressure, I learned to work, collaborate and understand different perspectives and realities. At the World Press Photo Foundation, I will implement and uphold the same values of inclusiveness, equality, reciprocity, and respect that have guided my work through the years, to understand and highlight the important stories that the foundation brings to the forefront. I look forward to dedicating myself to the foundation’s continued success, in collaboration with all the storytellers, partners and supporters.”

Joumana El Zein Khoury will join the World Press Photo team on 1 February 2021. Arnoud van Dommele, the foundation’s interim managing director, will hand over the executive director role to Joumana El Zein Khoury on 1 February 2021 and will stay until 1 April to ensure a smooth transition.

Image credit: Courtesy Prince Claus Fund © Omar Imam