Welcoming New Board Members: Rachel Pike and Philip Taubman
A dynamic board of directors has always been a cornerstone of Ploughshares Fund’s success and ability to make an impact. We are pleased to announce the addition of two new members to our board of directors: venture investor Dr. Rachel Pike and noted author and journalist Philip Taubman.
They will join a diverse group of professionals including Michael Douglas, former Senator Chuck Hagel, Dr. Gloria Duffy, former Congressman and Admiral Joe Sestak (D- PA) and Dr. Reza Aslan who lead and advise Ploughshares Fund, a global security foundation, as the group works towards the peace and security of a world without nuclear weapons.
“We couldn’t be more pleased to welcome these two talented Bay Area professionals to our board of directors,” said Joe Cirincione, President of Ploughshares Fund. “Their passion and expertise in journalism, science, and venture capital will complement the already strong skills and experience of Ploughshares Fund board members.”
Rachel Pike, the granddaughter of Ploughshares Fund’s founder, Sally Lilienthal, is a senior associate at Bay Area investment firm Draper Fisher Jurvetson. She joined the firm in 2010 and is active in the internet and clean technology sectors. Prior to joining DFJ, Rachel completed her Ph.D. in atmospheric chemistry computer modeling at the University of Cambridge. During her time there, Rachel served as President of the Gates Scholars, worked on a field campaign in Malaysia, and gave a short TED University talk on the scale of scientific research behind climate headlines. Rachel earned a B.A. in Chemistry and a minor in African Studies at Northwestern University and spent a year in Tanzania, where she studied at the University of Dar es Salaam and gained experience working on a Bus Rapid Transit planning project as an assistant consultant.
Philip Taubman is a consulting professor at the Center for International Security and Cooperation (CISAC) at Stanford University. He just completed The Partnership: Five Cold War Warriors and Their Quest to Ban the Bomb, a book about nuclear threats and the joint effort of Sid Drell, Henry Kissinger, Sam Nunn, Bill Perry and George Shultz to reduce nuclear dangers. Before joining CISAC in fall 2008, Mr. Taubman worked at the New York Times as a reporter and editor for nearly 30 years, specializing in national security issues, including intelligence and defense policies and operations. At the Times, Taubman served as a Washington correspondent, Moscow bureau chief, deputy editorial page editor, Washington bureau chief and associate editor. He recently began to write a biography on Secretary George P. Shultz.
Taubman also serves as secretary for the Stanford board of trustees as well as Stanford associate vice president for university affairs, working on special projects for Stanford's president, John Hennessy. Taubman was a history major at Stanford, Class of 1970, and served as editor-in-chief of the Stanford Daily in 1969. Before joining the New York Times, he worked as a correspondent for Time magazine and was sports editor of Esquire and is author of Secret Empire: Eisenhower, the CIA, and the Hidden Story of America's Space Espionage. (Simon & Schuster, 2003.)
See our full press release here.
