Robbee Baker Kosak

Robbee Baker Kosak is the fifth President of the Fannie and John Hertz Foundation and the first woman to lead the organization in its history.

A leader in expanding the field of global philanthropy in higher education, Robbee has more than 40 years of experience developing philanthropy and partnership networks on behalf of the science and technology community.

Since joining the Hertz Foundation in 2015, Robbee has ushered the foundation into a new era of philanthropic leadership. With a focus on building relationships among our fellows and other donors, Robbee has positioned the foundation for long-term financial sustainability, while expanding the professional support provided to its more than 1,200 fellows. Under Robbee’s guidance, the foundation has spearheaded productive relationships with several key partners, including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Google, Draper, and The Hertz Corporation.

Prior to the Hertz Foundation, Robbee served as Vice President for Advancement at Carnegie Mellon University for 15 years. Under her leadership, there was significant growth in global philanthropy and alumni engagement, as well as organizational partnerships and brand awareness. She was the architect for and led the university’s first billion-dollar, worldwide fundraising campaign, which quadrupled philanthropic support.

Earlier in her career, Robbee served as Vice President for Institute Advancement at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and Vice President for University Relations at Bucknell University. She also held leadership positions at Illinois Institute of Technology, Northwestern University, and Carnegie Mellon University.

A summa cum laude graduate of Pennsylvania State University, Robbee received her bachelor’s degree in individual and family studies. She also earned a certificate in educational management from Harvard University Graduate School of Education. She is a member of the Phi Kappa Phi and Omicron Nu honor societies.

Robbee is a member of the International Women’s Forum. She serves on the board of advisors of the Council for Advancement and Support of Education and the Executive Leadership Board at the University of California, Davis. She is a founding board member of the American Middle East Institute.

A self-professed nerd, in her free time Robbee also enjoys international travel and learning about winemaking and Native American art and culture. Her dream is to one day “complete” her sabbatical from golf.