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Sue GardnerCanadian entrepreneur and social activist
Date of Birth: 11.05.1967
Country:  Canada |
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Biography of Sue Gardner
Canadian entrepreneur and social activist, Sue Gardner is best known for her role as the executive director of the Wikimedia Foundation and former director of news projects and website at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). As of 2012, she was ranked 70th on the list of the most influential women in the world. Gardner gained attention for organizing a 24-hour blackout of Wikipedia in protest against the proposed SOPA legislation.
Early Life and Education
Sue Gardner grew up in Port Hope, Ontario, Canada, in a family of an Anglican priest and a school principal. She obtained a degree in journalism from Ryerson University and started her career at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, working on the radio project 'As It Happens.' Over the next 10 years, Gardner worked in various roles in the CBC news department, including reporter, producer, and documentary writer, primarily focusing on popular culture and current affairs.
Career
In March 2006, Gardner became the senior director of a division at CBC, overseeing the development of a new website for the company. In May 2007, she left CBC and soon started working at the Wikimedia Foundation, providing consultancy services, primarily in general management and operations. In December 2007, Gardner became the executive director of the project, and over the next two years, she oversaw the gradual expansion of the team. Under Gardner's leadership, a fundraising team was created, which continues to raise funds for the project's needs. Additionally, she relocated the company's office from Tampa to San Francisco.
Prior to Gardner's tenure, Wikimedia had only 10 employees, and their annual revenue struggled to reach $3 million. By 2011, thanks to Gardner's efforts, the situation changed drastically, with the organization's revenues increasing nearly tenfold to $23 million. As the new executive director, Gardner focused on expanding the readership of Wikipedia and made significant progress in previously unpromising markets. In October 2009, the Huffington Post named Gardner one of the "10 people who changed the rules of the media industry this year" for her work at Wikimedia.
