WILMINGTON, DE — The Apache Software Foundation (ASF) has appointed Ruth Suehle as its new president. Suehle succeeds David Nalley, who served in the role for the past four years and led the foundation through significant advancements.
Suehle, a prominent figure in the open source community, brings nearly two decades of experience to her new role. Since 2020, she has served as the ASF’s executive vice president and has been involved in producing the foundation’s flagship event, Community Over Code. Currently, she is Director of Open Source at SAS, where she leads the company’s first open source program office (OSPO). Previously, she spent 15 years at Red Hat in its OSPO and held leadership roles on the governing board and technical steering committee of the O3DF. Additionally, she co-authored Raspberry Pi Hacks and has a long history of building open source communities.
“I am honored to serve as the ASF’s new president and am appreciative of David’s service,” Suehle said. “Open source software has grown from a niche concept into a critical foundation of nearly all modern software development. Our industry is undergoing fundamental changes that will have ripple effects across the entire ecosystem, and I’m excited to help lead the ASF into that future.”
Suehle assumes leadership at a pivotal time for the ASF, which boasts nearly 8,500 committers and oversees 300 projects. Last year alone, the foundation issued 869 software releases and hosted 10 events with more than 6,000 participants worldwide. The ASF continues to play a leading role in emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and in shaping best practices for cybersecurity in open source communities.
Shane Curcuru, ASF Board Chair, praised Suehle’s appointment, highlighting her deep expertise in the open source field. “Her proven track record in strengthening open source communities and her commitment to ASF’s mission make her an invaluable asset to our leadership team,” Curcuru said. “We are excited to welcome her as the new ASF President during such a critical period for the open source ecosystem.”
The foundation also expressed its gratitude to outgoing president David Nalley for his distinguished service. Nalley led the ASF through critical moments, including the COVID-19 pandemic, and represented the organization globally in discussions on open source security and governance.
Reflecting on his tenure, Nalley said, “Serving as the President of the ASF has been sobering. The impact of the foundation is ubiquitous and felt by nearly every human on the planet. I’m proud of the work we’ve done, and I’m happy to see Ruth Suehle succeed me. She understands that the ASF’s success lies in its community, and I look forward to seeing the impact of her leadership.”
Under Suehle’s guidance, the ASF plans to build on its strong foundation and continue driving innovation across critical areas of software development. With this leadership change, the foundation reaffirms its commitment to advancing open source practices and meeting the evolving challenges of the technology landscape.
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