Celebrates CEO Clea Conner’s years of outstanding leadership and transition to Board of Trustees
Open to Debate, the esteemed nonpartisan debate platform beginning its 20th year, today announced the appointment of Lia Matthow as Chief Executive Officer. Clea Conner, who is stepping down after serving as CEO for seven years, will remain actively involved with the organization as a member of the Board of Trustees.
An Open to Debate longtime strategist, Matthow brings extensive editorial and leadership experience to the position. During her tenure as Chief Content Officer, she has expanded the organization’s editorial vision, curating a series of award-winning programs featuring thought-leaders in their fields debating the most pressing issues of the day. Overall, Matthow has overseen the production of more than 275 debates, including 45 in the past year overall (17 of which were live events), and has lededitorial partnerships with organizations like the Council on Foreign Relations, Bloomberg, The Aspen Ideas Festival, The Human Rights Foundation, Johns Hopkins/SNF Agora, Harvard, Georgetown and Northwestern Law schools and more. Prior to Open to Debate, Matthow worked in television news as an executive producer at MSNBC, a senior advisor to CNN and produced flagship events or other editorial products for global brands like Scientific American, Bloomberg, Newsweek and the New Yorker and served as a founding director of grants and special projects at a foundation endowed at $1 billion.
Open to Debate Founder and Board Chairman Robert Rosenkranz said:
“I consider this a re-founding of Open to Debate, which we launched 20 years ago in a very different political and media landscape. Today, we must be willing to rethink and reimagine nearly every aspect of our approach in order to expand our reach and deepen our impact.
“I can think of no leader more resourceful, imaginative, or better prepared than Lia to translate the challenges of this moment into the opportunities of the future. Her capacity to innovate while staying true to our core values makes her uniquely qualified to lead Open to Debate into its next chapter.
“As we enter our third decade, we do so with an impeccable reputation for integrity, professionalism, fairness, and neutrality. This is due in no small part to Clea Conner’s steady and principled leadership in navigating a landscape of complex and often contentious political and cultural issues—challenges that have compromised the credibility of many media organizations. I am deeply grateful for her outstanding leadership and delighted that we will continue to benefit from her wisdom and counsel.”
As CEO, Matthow will guide Open to Debate into its next phase of growth, deepening partnerships with academic, philanthropic, and civic institutions while continuing to elevate diverse viewpoints and informed public debate. In this period of renewal, she will oversee and reimagine new funding, marketing, and content strategies that meet the moment and increase distribution to U.S. and global audiences.
“Open to Debate has demonstrated that thought-provoking, dynamic and curiosity-driven dialogue can inform, challenge, and bring people together,” said Matthow. “I look forward to building on the strong foundation that has been built and designing new strategies to expand the organization’s reach in the years ahead. On a personal level, I’m honored to be taking over from Clea, a friend, a visionary leader and valued colleague who has led this organization so effectively these past seven years.”
During Clea Conner’s tenure as CEO, Open to Debate transformed from its origins as Intelligence Squared U.S. into a global, multi-platform forum for rigorous public debate. She oversaw an expansion in distribution and forged partnerships with premier global institutions, including the World Economic Forum, IBM, the Future Investment Initiative, Oslo Freedom Forum, and YPO, among many others.
“Leading Open to Debate has been an extraordinary privilege,” said Clea. “I am immensely proud of what our team has accomplished together and confident in the organization’s future. Lia is an exceptional leader, the transition will be seamless, and I am delighted to support her and the organization in this next chapter.”
This coming year promises to be Open to Debate’s biggest yet, with the upcoming launch of the organization’s new dedicated events and recording space in Canyon, a new 40,000-square-foot cultural venue in New York City.
ABOUT OPEN TO DEBATE
Open to Debate addresses a fundamental problem in America: the extreme polarization of our nation and our politics. We are the nation’s only nonpartisan, debate-driven media organization dedicated to bringing multiple viewpoints together for a constructive, balanced, respectful exchange of ideas. Open to Debate is a platform for intellectually curious and open-minded people to engage with others holding opposing views on complex issues. We know debate works to find common ground: On average, 32% of the Open to Debate audience changes their mind on contentious topics after hearing a debate. That’s the power of debate done right, and at scale, it can change the direction we’re headed in America. Open to Debate is broadcast as a weekly public radio program, carried on NPR stations including WNYC (#1 in the nation). Open to Debate is made available as a podcast, video series, and digital platform, and records episodes with live audiences nationwide. Learn more at opentodebate.org, and subscribe to Open to Debate’s Substack to access more than 350 debate archives, explore exclusive content, and engage with our community.
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