The Rockefeller Brothers Fund, which operates the Pocantico Center on the former Rockefeller estate in Tarrytown, has appointed Ian H. Solomon as the fund’s eighth president and CEO.
Solomon, currently the dean of the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy at the University of Virginia, will assume the role in September 2026, succeeding Stephen Heintz of Dobbs Ferry, who is retiring after 25 years.
Founded in 1940 by the grandsons of John D. Rockefeller, the Rockefeller Brothers Fund is a private foundation with a mission to advance social change that contributes to a more just, sustainable, and peaceful world.
RBF operates the 216-acre Pocantico Center through an arrangement with the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which owns the property. The campus is home to Kykuit, the David Rockefeller Creative Arts Center, the Marcel Breuer House and the surrounding gardens.
“Ian’s extensive experience in law, policymaking, diplomacy, and education spans the range of RBF’s work globally, and his distinctive skills in negotiation, collaborative problem-solving, and conflict resolution position him perfectly to lead the RBF at this pivotal moment in history,” stated Joseph Pierson, chair of the RBF’s board of trustees.
Solomon emerged as a leader at UVA as the campus community navigated a series of challenges, from the COVID-19 pandemic and nationwide racial reckoning to the 2022 shooting that killed three UVA students and wounded two others. He gained national recognition for his essay written after the murder of George Floyd, which encouraged students to “do the hard work, have the hard conversations, make the hard choices, and … believe in the power of us.”
Solomon has taught public policy, law, and negotiation at Yale Law School and the University of Chicago. As vice president for global engagement at the University of Chicago, he supported international programs, research collaborations, and global education opportunities.
“I have long admired the fund, whose commitment to the greater good has touched many of the causes and organizations that inspire me,” Solomon stated. “I am energized by the prospect of close collaboration with the leaders inside and outside the organization who are charting the path to a more just, sustainable, and peaceful world, and I look forward to seeing what we can accomplish together.”
Before joining the Batten School, Solomon held several positions in the federal government, including four years as legislative counsel to then-Sen. Barack Obama and, later, as a senior adviser to U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner.
In 2010, he was unanimously confirmed by Congress as the U.S. executive director for the World Bank Group, where he negotiated multi-stakeholder agreements related to global food security, private-sector development in Africa, data accessibility, and more.
Originally from New York City, Solomon earned his AB from Harvard University and his JD from Yale Law School. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, a fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration, and a trustee of the Henry Luce Foundation.
