Asia Society Leader Leaves Post to Consult at Guggenheim

By
Abbie Fentress Swanson
Features | May 9, 2012

The leader of the Asia Society is stepping down.

The society announced on Wednesday that Dr. Vishakha Desai is leaving her post as president and chief executive officer in September to join the Guggenheim Foundation as a senior adviser for global policy and programs.

Desai has worked for the Asia Society for 22 years, and has led it for the past eight. Under her, the society expanded its New York headquarters and opened new offices in India and South Korea. The group also opened centers with gallery exhibition space in Hong Kong and in Houston.

"It has been a privilege to preside over the institution during this time of dramatic transformation," she said in a statement. "It is now the right time to close my chapter and open the way to new leadership at the Asia Society.”

Desai has also advised President Barack Obama on India. The search for her replacement at the Asia Society is ongoing.

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Abbie Fentress Swanson

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