John Fahey is president and chief executive officer of the National Geographic Society and chairman of the executive committee of its board of trustees.



Founded in 1888, the Society, one of the largest nonprofit scientific and educational organizations in the world, works to inspire people to care about the planet. It reaches more than 300 million people each month through its magazines, the National Geographic Channel, television documentaries, films, radio programs, books, DVDs, maps, interactive media, school publishing and teacher development programs. The Society has funded more than 8,000 scientific research projects and supports an education program combating geographic illiteracy. In February 2006, the Society acquired Hampton-Brown, the country's leading publisher of English as a Second Language instructional materials. The Society's education activities also include classroom magazines, children's reading programs, geography competitions, state geographic alliances and professional development resources for teachers.



Fahey joined National Geographic April 1, 1996, as the first president and chief executive officer of National Geographic Ventures, the nonprofit Society's separate, wholly owned, taxable subsidiary.



During his tenure Fahey has led an evolution of the National Geographic Society, including its entry into cable television with the National Geographic Channel, which airs in 34 languages and reaches more than 250 million homes in 166 countries, and the international expansion of National Geographic magazine, now published in 29 local-language editions.



From 1989 until joining National Geographic, Fahey was chairman, president and CEO of Time Life Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Time Warner Inc.



Born in New York City, Fahey received his bachelor's degree in engineering from Manhattan College and his master's in business administration from the University of Michigan.



Fahey serves on the board of the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History and on the advisory board of the World Community Grid, a global initiative using computer technology to tackle humanitarian projects. He is also on the board of directors of Johnson Outdoors Inc. and Exclusive Resorts. He is a member of the Newseum Advisory Committee and represents National Geographic on the U.S. National Commission for UNESCO.



Fahey has been 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., with their children, Christopher, Kenneth and Allison.