Education
Knell graduated from Grant High School in Los Angeles, California, and earned a Bachelor in political science from University of California, Los Angeles in 1975, followed by a law degree from Loyola Law School in Los Angeles
Knell graduated from Grant High School in Los Angeles, California, and earned a Bachelor in political science from University of California, Los Angeles in 1975, followed by a law degree from Loyola Law School in Los Angeles
He joined National Geographic as chief executive in January 2014. From 2011 to 2013 he was president and Chief Executive Officer of National Public Radio National Public Radio. Prior to that he served as Chief Executive Officer of Sesame Workshop from 2000–2011. In 1978. While at University of California, Los Angeles, he worked on the school"s newspaper, the Daily Bruin.
Knell"s media career spans nearly three decades.
Before joining National Geographic as president and Chief Executive Officer in January 2014, Knell served as president and Chief Executive Officer of National Public Radio from 2011 to 2013. He led National Public Radio"s worldwide media operations, which include partnerships with 900 public radio stations.
He oversaw the fiscal, operational and journalistic integrity of National Public Radio and led the building of the organization and its philanthropic base to support and leverage the strengths of National Public Radio and its extensive network of stations. A strong advocate of innovation, he was a key driver in leveraging new technologies to advance National Public Radio"s core mission and grew audience for all of public media.
Knell was Chief Executive Officer of Sesame Workshop for 12 years before joining National Public Radio in 2011.
He joined the company in 1989 and assumed the role of chief operating officer in 1998 before moving into the Chief Executive Officer role in 2000. During his tenure at Sesame, the organization expanded its revenue base, audience and global recognition. Knell was instrumental in focusing the organization on Sesame Street"s worldwide mission, including the creation of groundbreaking co-productions in South Africa, India, Northern Ireland and Egypt.
Prior to joining Sesame Workshop, Knell was managing director of Manager Media International, a print and multimedia publishing company based in Bangkok, Hong Kong, and Singapore.
He has also served as senior vice president and general counsel at W National Educational Television/Channel 13 in New York, was counsel to the United States. Senate Judiciary and Governmental Affairs Committees in Washington, District of Columbia, and worked in the California State Legislature and Governor" General’ s Office. He serves on the boards of Heidrick & Struggles and Common Sense Media as well as the advisory boards of the Military Child Education Coalition and the Pentagon Memorial Fund.
He is an adviser to the Annenberg School of Communications at University of Southern California. A Gordon Grand Fellow at Yale University, Knell was a guest lecturer at Harvard University, Duke University, Southern Methodist University, Carnegie Mellon University, and the University of Puerto Rico. He received honorary doctorates from Kenyon College in Ohio and Mercy College in New York and has served as the commencement speaker at Johns Hopkins University, University of California, Los Angeles, and the University of Texas at Austin.
Knell received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from University of California, Los Angeles, where he also served as Editorial Director of the University of California, Los Angeles Daily Bruin and was a stringer for the Associated Press.
He received a Juris Doctor from Loyola University School of Law in Los Los Angeles
He has been a member of the Society"s board of trustees since April 2013 and has served on the board of governors of the National Geographic Education Foundation since November 2003. Knell is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.
