The Future Investment Initiative's Board of Trustees appointed Her Royal Highness Dr. Maha bint Mishari bin Abdulaziz Al Saud as CEO on June 10.

Dr. Al Saud is a physician, a researcher, and an institution-builder whose career has moved deliberately across healthcare, academia, and international diplomacy at the highest levels. She brings more than 25 years of leadership to a role that sits at the center of global capital allocation and policy formation. Most recently, she served as Vice President of External Relations and Advancement at Alfaisal University, where she strengthened the institution's global partnerships and advanced its standing as one of Saudi Arabia's most respected centers of academic excellence.

The Future Investment Initiative is a global nonprofit with an investment arm and one stated agenda: Impact on Humanity. Through its THINK, XCHANGE, and ACT pillars, it brings together investors, innovators, policymakers, and heads of state to move capital toward the world's most pressing challenges. The FII PRIORITY Miami Summit earlier this year drew global powerbrokers under the theme "Capital in Motion." The annual Riyadh flagship returns this October for its 10th anniversary edition.

H.E. Yasir Al-Rumayyan, Chairman of the FII Board and Governor of the Public Investment Fund, said Dr. Al Saud "brings a rare combination of leadership, vision, and global perspective that will be instrumental in advancing the FII Institute's mission." He added that her career "reflects a deep commitment to education, innovation, and societal progress." Al-Rumayyan oversees one of the largest sovereign wealth funds on earth. His endorsement carries weight precisely because it is rarely placed carelessly.

The Saudi Gazette noted that Dr. Al Saud succeeds founding CEO Richard Attias, who will continue as Chairman of the Executive Committee as the institute expands its global reach. It is a clean transition — institutional continuity with new executive direction. 

What distinguishes this appointment is the specific architecture of Dr. Al Saud's career. She did not come up through investment banking. She built her professional identity where medicine, higher education, and international engagement intersect — representing Saudi Arabia at the G20 and the Eurasian Women's Forum, earning executive credentials at Harvard Business School and IMD, and holding fellowship as a Master of the American College of Physicians. For an organization whose mandate is impact on humanity, her background is not incidental to the role. It is the argument for it.

She will deliver the opening remarks at the FII PRIORITY Europe Summit in Rome on June 19 — her first major address as CEO, on an international stage, nine days from now.

"It is a privilege to join the FII Institute at such an important moment in its journey," she said. "I look forward to working with the Board of Trustees, the Executive Committee, our partners, and our talented team to further advance our mission and create meaningful impact for future generations."

Dr. Maha Al Saud takes the stage in Rome on June 19.