Tino Cuéllar to Step Down as Carnegie Endowment President in July 2026
Carnegie Board of Trustees to Appoint New President
Washington, D.C., Jan. 15, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace announced today that President Mariano-Florentino (Tino) Cuéllar, its tenth president, will step down in July 2026 after nearly five years leading the institution through a rapidly changing global landscape and institutional transformation. Beginning in July, Cuéllar will return to Stanford University to lead the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences (CASBS) and succeed former Stanford President John Hennessy as director of the Knight-Hennessy Scholars Program.
Under Cuéllar's leadership, Carnegie delivered significant policy impact on some of the world's most pressing challenges. He co-chaired the bipartisan Task Force on Nuclear Proliferation and U.S. National Security, the first high-level effort since 1964 to assess the impact of nuclear proliferation on American security and to create a comprehensive framework for using American power to prevent the further spread of nuclear weapons. Deftly investing in key areas before they dominated the headlines, Carnegie established new programs on climate and global order; built expertise on artificial intelligence; and strengthened its focus on pressures affecting democracy and the future of India and South Asia.
Cuéllar also led Carnegie through complex geopolitical moments. After the Russian invasion of Ukraine forced the closure of the Carnegie Moscow Center, he oversaw the creation of the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center in Berlin to continue Carnegie's regional work. Since then, scholars in Carnegie's Ukraine initiative and colleagues focused on Russia have reshaped debates about the Russia-Ukraine war and advised policymakers on the Russian threat. Carnegie opened new locations in Singapore (Carnegie China) and Palo Alto (Carnegie California), positioning the institution where critical policy debates have been unfolding. Under his leadership, Carnegie developed new partnerships, expanded its reach to new audiences, and launched new projects like the institution-wide Beyond Disruption initiative.
“Tino's innovative leadership helped Carnegie weather the geopolitical storms and forge new workstreams to develop ideas that tackle the most pressing global issues from AI to nuclear deterrence," said Jane Hartley, Chair of the Board of Trustees at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. “As Board Chair, I look forward to building on this progress by leading the selection process for a new Carnegie president. Carnegie’s next leader will inherit a resilient institution that is ready to write its next chapter as a critical voice in the ideas ecosystem during these tumultuous times."
“Carnegie is a unique resource for the world—dedicated to reducing conflict and improving governance through bold ideas, support for diplomatic breakthroughs, and timely, impartial research,” said Cuéllar. “It has been a special privilege to lead this remarkable institution and work with extraordinary colleagues and board members to strengthen it for the twenty-first century. I'm proud to leave Carnegie financially healthy, intellectually strengthened, and ready for sustained impact under new leadership.”
“Carnegie's global network—spanning research centers from Washington to Brussels to New Delhi—positions us to deliver what decision makers need: rigorous analysis with actionable ideas,” said Deven Parekh, Vice Chair of the Carnegie Board of Trustees. “Tino's tenure leveraged this network at a pivotal moment. We are grateful for his service and look forward to appointing a new president to help Carnegie navigate this increasingly complex geopolitical landscape.”
Prior to Carnegie, Cuéllar served as a justice on the Supreme Court of California. He also has served three U.S. presidential administrations at the White House and various federal agencies, and he was the Stanley Morrison Professor at Stanford University, where he held appointments in law, political science, and international affairs and led the university’s Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies.
A search committee within Carnegie’s board will be formed, led by Chair Jane Hartley, to select a new president.
About the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace:
Founded in 1910, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace generates strategic ideas and independent analysis, supports diplomacy, and trains the next generation of scholar-practitioners to help countries and institutions take on the most difficult global problems and advance peace.
Katelynn Vogt Carnegie Endowment for International Peace Katelynn.Vogt@ceip.org
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