Luis A. Ubinas

Luis A. Ubiñas "became the ninth president of the Ford Foundation in January 2008, following a national and international search by the Foundation’s Board of Trustees. He succeeds Susan V. Berresford, who served the Foundation for 38 years, the last 12 as president.

"Mr. Ubiñas was previously a Director at McKinsey & Company, a global management consulting firm, where he worked for 18 years. Based in San Francisco, he led McKinsey’s Media Practice on the West Coast of the United States, advising Fortune 100 media, telecommunications and technology companies on major strategic and operating challenges.

"While at McKinsey, Mr. Ubiñas led research on the impact of new technologies on business and society, worked with traditional media companies responding to the effects of new media, and with emerging technology companies on the introduction of new media services. Much of his work was long-range in nature, requiring years to conceive and implement. He led projects around the world, including many of the locations where Ford has field offices, including China, Mexico, Russia, Brazil and Chile. Mr. Ubiñas has spoken extensively on trends in the communications arena at universities and industry forums, including multiple keynote addresses to the World Association of Newspapers. He was a leader in developing McKinsey’s Boston Office and Global Media Practice. He also founded McKinsey’s Latino recruiting and mentoring group to introduce and cultivate diverse talent at McKinsey.

"Mr. Ubiñas has a distinguished record of leadership in the nonprofit sector, devoting much of his personal time and energy to working with nonprofits to accomplish their missions. He has advised senior management and is currently on the boards of Leadership Education and Development (LEAD), a national organization providing educational opportunities to low-income African-American and Latino high school students, and the Bay Area United Way. He spent seven years advising and serving on the board of the Steppingstone Foundation. His many pro bono efforts at McKinsey included work with the After-School for All Partnership in Boston and Family Services of Greater Boston.

"Mr. Ubiñas earned an AB (magna cum laude in Government) at Harvard College where, among other honors, he was named a Harry S. Truman Scholar and a John Winthrop Scholar. As an undergraduate, he also studied at the Institute of Latin American Studies at the University of Texas at Austin and earned a certificate in Latin American Studies from Harvard. He holds an MBA from Harvard Business School, where he graduated as a Baker Scholar. Early in his career, Mr. Ubiñas interned as a reporter at the Wall Street Journal and Los Angeles Times.

"Mr. Ubiñas is a native of the South Bronx. He is married to Deborah L. Tolman, Professor of Human Sexuality Studies and founding Director of the Center for Research on Gender and Sexuality at San Francisco State University and Visiting Professor of Psychology and Public Health at Hunter College in New York. They have two sons."

"Luis is extensively involved in community activities, serving on the Boards of the Steppingstone Foundation and Leadership Education and Development, both of which provide educational opportunities to low income, high talent students. He has an A.B. in government, magna cum laude, from Harvard College, and an M.B.A. (Baker Scholar) from Harvard Business School."


 * Fellow, New Politics Institute