ProPublica announced on Wednesday that it has hired Ben Werdmuller as senior director for technology. In this new leadership role, Werdmuller will oversee ProPublica’s technology teams and initiatives, including the product engineering and enterprise technology groups.
Werdmuller brings more than two decades of experience as a mission-driven technologist working at the intersection of media, startups and technology. He co-founded two companies, including one of the first social networking platforms, and led investments at Matter, an accelerator program for media startups. Most recently, he served as chief technology officer at The 19th.
“Ben is a great advocate for the people who power, and are impacted by, technology and cares deeply about the independent web and open-source communities. I couldn’t imagine a better set of values and experiences to help guide our efforts,” said Tyson Evans, chief product and brand officer.
“I’m honored by the opportunity to help guide the technology strategy of one of America’s most impactful newsrooms, during an important inflection point in the media industry and our democracy,” Werdmuller said, on accepting the role.