We are proud to announce that Alejandro Ponce, our longtime chief research officer and co-creator of the World Justice Project (WJP) Rule of Law Index, will become our next executive director, effective February 2025. 

In February, Ponce will assume the role held for the past six years by Elizabeth Andersen, who has been named the next executive director of the Basel Institute on Governance. We are incredibly grateful to Andersen for leading WJP to new heights during her remarkable tenure. 

Ponce holds a Ph.D. in economics from Stanford University. He first joined WJP in 2008 and has been at the forefront of developing many of WJP's pioneering initiatives, including developing the WJP Rule of Law Index, establishing WJP's Mexico office, spearheading efforts to measure the global justice gap, creating WJP's first subnational index and, most recently, launching World Justice Project EUROVOICES, which was unveiled in Brussels last week. 

William H. Neukom, co-founder and president of WJP, expressed his enthusiasm: "Alejandro Ponce is an innovator and global rule of law leader who has helped shape the World Justice Project into the influential global organization it is today. The entire board is thrilled that Alex has agreed to be WJP's next executive director." 

Please join us in congratulating Alejandro Ponce on this well-deserved appointment. We remain committed to building upon our collective achievements and charting an innovative path forward in our ongoing mission to advance the rule of law globally.