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Succeeds Dr. Wayne Holden, who is retiring
RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. — The RTI International Board of Governors has selected Tim J. Gabel, RTI’s executive vice president of the Social, Statistical and Environmental Sciences (SSES) business unit, to succeed E. Wayne Holden, Ph.D., as president and chief executive officer.
“I am honored to be selected as RTI’s next president and CEO,” said Mr. Gabel. “The institute’s work impacts, illuminates or improves the most urgent issues facing society today, in our local communities, in North Carolina, and around the world. I share the commitment that everyone who works for the institute demonstrates each day to deliver the promise of science for global good.”
The RTI Board of Governors selected Mr. Gabel following a rigorous search process that considered many highly qualified candidates. Formalities associated with the RTI leadership transition are expected to be completed in early 2022.
“The selection of a new executive leader is the most important responsibility of any board. Our primary objective was to hire a new leader who would sustain and expand the vital work that RTI does,” said RTI Board of Governors Chair Peter M. Scott III. “Tim has clearly demonstrated his support of RTI’s mission, vision, values and goals, and he understands our organization, our people and our competitive landscape. In short, we are confident that Tim will get the right results in the right way.”
Upon formal election by the Board of Governors, Mr. Gabel will become the fifth president and CEO of RTI since its founding in December 1958. He succeeds E. Wayne Holden, Ph.D., who has provided 16 years of dedicated service to RTI, including serving as President and CEO since 2012.
“During his tenure, Wayne developed for the institute a long-range strategy focused on enhancing RTI’s scientific stature, invested in the development of staff, improved operational excellence and diversified funding sources. As a result, the institute’s impact expanded from 1,800 to approximately 4,000 projects annually and revenue grew from $734 million to nearly $1.1 billion,” said Mr. Scott. “Through his vision and committed leadership, RTI has truly lived its mission: improving the human condition by turning knowledge into practice. Our capabilities and expertise across the spectrum of social and laboratory sciences, engineering and international development are second to none. Wayne leaves RTI with the institute in its strongest position ever. The board is grateful to Wayne for his service and stewardship.”
“It’s been a privilege to work for an institute that puts scientific inquiry and rigor at the center of everything we do in service of our mission to improve the human condition,” said Dr. Holden. “It has been the great honor of my career to lead the institute through a decade of growth and success and to help us through the challenges of the past 18 months. We are in a strong position for a new CEO, and I plan on working with Tim and the executive leadership team to ensure a smooth transition.”
Tim J. Gabel has served as the executive vice president of Social, Statistical and Environmental Sciences (SSES) at RTI International since 2012. As head of SSES, the largest of RTI’s business units, he manages an annual revenue of over $600 million and approximately 3,000 professional staff who conduct a variety of research, development and technical assistance projects.
Mr. Gabel joined RTI in 1983 with technical training in both statistics and computer science and has served in a variety of leadership roles during his career, including the head of the Research Computing Division and the vice president for Survey and Computing Sciences. He holds an MBA from Duke University and a B.S. in Statistics and Computer Science from the University of Wyoming.
Mr. Gabel holds an adjunct appointment at the University of North Carolina Gillings School of Public Health and is a member of the University of Wyoming College of Arts & Sciences Board of Visitors. In addition, he serves as Vice Chair of the Defense Alliance of North Carolina board and serves on the boards of The Triangle Universities Center for Advanced Studies Inc. (TUCASI), Go Global NC and the United Way of North Carolina.
About RTI International
RTI International is an independent, nonprofit research institute dedicated to improving the human condition. Clients rely on us to answer questions that demand an objective and multidisciplinary approach — one that integrates expertise across the social and laboratory sciences, engineering and international development. We believe in the promise of science, and we are inspired every day to deliver on that promise for the good of people, communities and businesses around the world. For more information, visit www.rti.org.
