RUSI Director-General Karin von Hippel to step down after almost a decade in charge
After almost a decade as RUSI’s Director-General, Doctor Karin von Hippel has announced her intent to move on.
Karin has been Director-General of RUSI since 2015 and the Institute has grown and changed considerably during her tenure. Notably, the Institute has more than doubled its size from around 55 employees to more than 120 and grown annual income from around £6m to more than £16m.
Crucially, Karin has overseen the successful fundraising for and renovation of RUSI’s historic home on Whitehall, with the building reopening in 2023 after a three year project to transform it. At the same time, the Institute’s profile has never been higher, with RUSI experts making vital contributions to the understanding of an increasingly complex world.
Reflecting on her time leading RUSI, Karin said:
I’m incredibly proud of everything that RUSI has achieved over these past years. We have grown, put the Institute on a strong footing for its long-term future and solidified a reputation as an independent, impartial thought leader and a trusted convenor on the most critical defence, security and geo-political issues.
She continued:
What I’m most proud of is that these successes have come as a team. I’m grateful to all RUSI staff I’ve worked with – past and present. I also want to thank Lord Hague and Sir David Lidington for the support they’ve provided as Chairs of RUSI, along with our Trustees, Advisory Board Members, Associate Fellows and our donors. We’ve had incredible support from His Royal Highness the Duke of Kent, and I leave knowing RUSI will be privileged to have His Majesty The King as our Patron.
Dr Karin von Hippel
Director-General
Sir David Lidington, RUSI’s Chair, added:
RUSI under Karin's leadership has steadily enhanced its national and global reputation as one of the world's leading think tanks on defence, security and international policy. She has overseen a significant expansion of the Institute's work from military science to cyber and financial crime, sanctions policy and climate security. Thanks to Karin, RUSI is in a strong academic and financial position. She can look back with justified pride on her achievements at RUSI and takes with her my thanks, that of the trustees and everyone connected with the Institute.
The Rt Hon Sir David Lidington KCB CBE
Chair
Dr. von Hippel will leave RUSI once her permanent successor has been identified and appointed. The transition is expected to take place towards the end of the year, following a recruitment process led by RUSI Trustees.