NPR announces leadership appointments to deepen audience connections and Network collaboration

NPR Chief Operating Officer Ryan Merkley announced that Bryan Moffett has been promoted to Senior Vice President, Transformation and Michael Seifollahi has been promoted to Vice President, Audience Technology and Data.

“NPR is in a pivotal moment when we are working across the Network to better serve audiences across news, digital products, fundraising, marketing, and distribution,” said Merkley. “These appointments position us to deliver on transformative investments that will deepen our connections and build more dynamic experiences for our audiences. Bryan and Mike are both exceptional leaders who have consistently driven growth and innovation throughout their tenures and developed a deep understanding of NPR and the Member organizations.”

As Senior Vice President, Transformation, Moffett will lead the design and execution of enterprise-wide transformation initiatives aligned to our strategic priorities. At its core, the function of this role is to ensure effective cross-team execution to support our ambitious goals for audience growth and enhanced Network collaboration. Since 2022, Moffett has served in a dual role as Chief Operating Officer at NPM and Senior Vice President for Network Growth at NPR. He will continue in his capacity as COO at NPM, while shifting the balance of his focus toward his new role leading NPR’s Office of Transformation.

Moffett has played a critical role in shaping NPR Network initiatives that harness NPR’s digital leadership to benefit Member organizations, including NPR+ and the NPR Network Donation platform that to-date has led to more than $70 million in new audience revenue shared with the NPR Network. With more than two decades of experience at NPR and National Public Media (NPM), Moffett also ushered in digital sponsorship at NPR and built the sponsorship models for NPR’s apps and podcasts. He previously served as General Manager at NPM, and has served as the organization’s Chief Operating Officer since 2016.

“This is a critical moment in media, and particularly for public media,” said Moffett. “The challenges are formidable, but so is the opportunity. I’m tremendously excited to work within NPR and across the Network to ensure our digital transformation leads to audience and revenue growth, as we re-imagine how public media can deliver on our mission and make an even larger impact over the next 50 years.”

As Vice President for Audience Technology and Data, Seifollahi will lead, develop, and scale a team of engineers spanning full-stack, front-end, mobile, voice, and QA practices. Partnering closely with the soon-to-be-hired Senior Vice President of Product and Data, he will be responsible for the technical and architectural vision for the next generation of products powering the public media digital ecosystem.

Seifollahi joined NPR in 2013 as a Lead Mobile Engineer and was part of the team at NPR that conceived and engineered the on-demand digital listening experience that would grow to become NPR One. He was also part of the core team that pitched and executed NPR’s move from supporting and developing multiple mobile apps to our current unified mobile app strategy.

“I have been fortunate to represent NPR’s mission and our Network through the products we build, and to collaborate with passionate experts across a multitude of disciplines,” said Seifollahi. “I’m energized to take on the challenges before us now, and for the opportunity it presents to continue developing our brilliant Audience Technology team. One of the things I love most about working towards our mission is that every measurable outcome leads to a more informed public, something I feel motivated by every morning.”

About NPR

NPR’s rigorous reporting and unsurpassed storytelling connect with millions of Americans every day — on the air, online, and in person. NPR was founded on a mission to create a more informed public — one challenged and invigorated by a deeper understanding and appreciation of events, ideas, and cultures. With a nationwide network of award-winning journalists and more than a dozen international bureaus, NPR and its Member organizations are never far from where a story is unfolding. Listeners and readers can find NPR everywhere — through their local Member stations (npr.org/stations ), online at NPR.org, wherever podcasts are available, and by downloading the NPR App. The NPR app brings together the best of the NPR Network from around the world and right in your community — live radio, podcasts, the latest local and national news and more — available wherever you are and whenever you want. Get more information at npr.org/about and by following NPR Extra on Facebook, LinkedIn, Threads, Bluesky, and Instagram.

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