Shéhérazade Semsar is the first executive director of the McCourt Institute, created to promote ethical technological innovation, after serving as the founding Chief Executive Officer of Politico Europe. Under her leadership, Politico became one of Europe’s most influential publications. She also helped launch Politico’s annual AI Innovation and Governance Summit, which convenes key players and stakeholders from across the globe for discussions on the future of AI standards and governance. After leaving her role as Politico CEO in 2021, Semsar remains an advisory board member for Politico Europe.
Born in Tehran, Semsar graduated from the School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University in 1990 with a B.A. and a M.S. in International Finance.
She served as a member of the Board of Directors of Georgetown University, Washington D.C. from 2013 to 2019. She is currently serving on the Advisory Board of Georgetown’s Master of Science in Foreign Service and on the Board of Directors of the French-American Foundation.
In addition, from 2008 to 2010, Shéhérazade served on the Board of Directors of Femmes Forums, a leading women’s club in Paris, France. She represents DII at the French think tank: Institut Montaigne.
