Patty Stonesifer

Patty Stonesifer is the Co-chair and chief executive officer of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. On February 7, 2008, she announced that she would step aside from her role at the end of the year. She intends to help with the search for her successor and remain involved with special projects.

In 1997, Bill and Melinda Gates asked Stonesifer to launch the Gates Library Foundation, [http://www.gatesfoundation.org/UnitedStates/USLibraryProgram/Announcements/Announce-81.htm] which later merged with the William H. Gates Foundation in 2000. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation's US$38.7 billion endowment fund hands out more than a billion dollars a year to "improve access to advances in global health and learning."

Prior to 1997, Stonesifer was a consultant to DreamWorks SKG and held a senior vice president position at Microsoft. As Senior Vice President of the Interactive Media Division, Stonesifer was responsible for an $800 million business whose product was interactive entertainment, news, information and service products. In addition, Stonesifer managed Microsoft's investments in new online content and service products including MSN. During her tenure at Microsoft, her division produced software titles including Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia, Microsoft's "Magic School Bus" Series and Microsoft Flight Simulator. In 1996 she negotiated a Microsoft and DreamWorks SKG joint venture, DreamWorks Interactive, which was subsequently acquired by Electronic Arts.

Stonesifer is a founding board member of the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences. She served on the board of The GAVI Fund, which helps to provide vaccines to developing countries. Stonesifer has also served on the U.S. delegation to the United Nations General Assembly Special Session on AIDS. She is a founding co-chair of the CITIES board, which promotes expanding the use of technology in Seattle's community colleges. Stonesifer donates both time and resources to a number of other regional nonprofit organizations and serves on the board of regents of the Smithsonian Institution and the board of directors of Amazon.com and Viacom Inc. In July 1996, she was named as one of the 25 Most Influential People in America by "Time".

She is married to Michael Kinsley, a political columnist and former head of the Microsoft-funded online journal "Slate". She has two children from a previous marriage.