Rust Foundation Attracts Top Talent to Senior Leadership Roles

Foundation expansion reflects the continued maturation of the Rust programming language and growth of the global Rust community

WAKEFIELD, Mass.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The Rust Foundation today announced three new additions to its team, with two new senior appointments leading the organization’s financial and operational strategic delivery. In a coup for the Foundation, Joel Marcey joins as Director of Operations and Advocacy, with a wide technical and operational portfolio to develop, support and safeguard the Rust ecosystem. Marcey is a Facebook/Meta alum with 25 years of engineering, advocacy and open source experience. Previously serving as a Member Director for Meta on the Rust Foundation Board of Directors, Marcey now moves to take a more hands-on role in shaping the future of the Foundation. His appointment signals the commitment the Foundation has to meaningfully developing robust systems to support the Rust Project, while retaining the consensus-based approach that Rust is famed for.

Discussing the role, Marcey said ”Having been on the Board for nearly a year, I have developed my appreciation for not only the potential of the language itself, but also the dedication of those that develop and maintain it. I now get an opportunity to support this community in a direct and meaningful way from inside the Foundation. I am very excited to be part of this journey.“

Also joining the leadership team as Director of Finance and Funding is Paul Lenz. With a background in senior roles spanning telecoms, open source and non-profit, Lenz joins the Foundation from the UK based Indigo Trust, a philanthropic body supporting digital, legal, and development projects in the UK, Europe and Africa. Lenz will be responsible for the financial management of the Foundation, as well as the development and management of the Rust Foundation Community Grants Program, which aims to award over $700k per year in funds to grow, sustain, and innovate within the Rust ecosystem.

The funding of open source development and maintenance has unique challenges, and Lenz said of the role, “I am hugely excited to be joining the Foundation and to play a leading role in supporting the Rust community. There is huge potential within this community to drive innovation, and I look forward to supporting this through the Community Grants Program.”

Completing the trio of new hires is Abi Broom, who joins as Operations Manager and is responsible for transforming the internal capacity of the Foundation to meet its growing ambition. Broom has 20 years of experience implementing and formalizing systems and procedures in growing organizations across the digital and non-profit spaces. She has a keen interest in digital transformation and the possibilities offered by new technologies.

Executive Director & CEO Rebecca Rumbul said of the appointments, “Joel, with his detailed knowledge of the Rust ecosystem and deep understanding of both the big tech and open source world, is a fantastic addition to the Rust Foundation leadership team. The fact that we were able to lure him away from Meta shows just how exciting a time this is for the Foundation, and how much confidence exists in our vision.

Paul not only has CFO and CEO experience, but is a thought leader in effective grant-making and will ensure that our community awards are fit for purpose. I am delighted that we also have Abi coming on board to manage the day-to-day operations. She has successfully run a number of non-profit start-ups in the past and has supported their growth. I know she will be an asset to the Foundation. All three appointments put us in a great position to amplify our impact and to deliver programs of work that will have meaningful benefits for users and maintainers of Rust, our corporate members, and the wider ecosystem.”

For more about the Rust Foundation, visit our website and learn about becoming a member. Follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn to stay up to date.

About the Rust Foundation

The Rust Foundation is an independent, non-profit organization with a mission to support the Rust Project. It perpetuates and accelerates innovation, connecting the needs of maintainers with the resources of companies in a collaborative, transparent community that builds awareness and appreciation of Rust, including its positive impact on businesses and the planet. Learn more at foundation.rust-lang.org.

Contacts

Lillian Guinther, on behalf of the Rust Foundation

541-206-3039

rustmktg@virtualinc.com