Alexandra Bell to join Bulletin as President & CEO

CHICAGO, IL – Today Alexandra Bell was named president and CEO of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, the organization founded by Albert Einstein and J. Robert Oppenheimer to inform the public and policymakers about man-made threats to our existence.

“I am truly honored to join the Bulletin – a pillar of the existential threat community whose influence only continues to grow,” said Bell. “Rachel Bronson and the many leaders before her, the boards, the staff, donors, and contributors have built a powerful tool for communicating with the public and policymakers on risk. I am committed to further strengthening the organization and its work to inform the public of the growing complexity of the existential threats we face and the discourse on how we manage and eventually eliminate those threats.”

Bell’s selection follows a nationwide search led by the Bulletin’s Governing Board and Science and Security Board.

“Alex’s deep expertise, record of leadership, and commitment to our issues makes her a natural choice to lead the Bulletin into its next era,” said Dave Kuhlman, Chair of the Bulletin’s Governing Board.

Before joining the Bulletin, Bell served as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Affairs in the Bureau of Arms Control, Deterrence, and Stability (ADS) at the U.S. Department of State. There she managed the Offices of Strategic Stability and Deterrence and Multilateral and Nuclear Affairs. From 2017 to 2021, Bell was the Senior Policy Director at the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation and the Council for a Livable World. Previously, Bell served as a Senior Advisor in the Office of the Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security and as an Advisor in ADS, then named the Bureau of Arms Control, Verification and Compliance. Before joining the Department of State in 2010, she worked on nuclear policy issues at the Ploughshares Fund and the Center for American Progress.

“Over the years, Alex has contributed many incisive and finely crafted articles to the Bulletin, so we know her not only by her reputation and accomplishments in the field but by her writing. I look forward to working with her as she brings that same level of analysis and insight to this role,” said editor-in-chief John Mecklin.

Bell joins the Bulletin as Rachel Bronson finishes ten years as president and CEO. “It has been an honor and a privilege to help guide the organization’s growth and deepen its impact. By passing the baton to Alex, I step down knowing that our talented team is in the hands of a strong leader,” said Bronson. Bronson will remain with the organization as a senior advisor.

This year marks the 80th anniversary of the Bulletin’s founding in December of 1945. It was created as an emergency action by scientists who saw an immediate need for a public reckoning in the aftermath of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

“Einstein, Oppenheimer, and other founders of the Bulletin knew that nuclear weapons marked a historic shift—for the first time providing humanity with the power to destroy itself. Their goal was to alert and inform the public and policy makers to existential dangers and help the world to overcome these fundamental threats. Now, with the Doomsday Clock closer than it has ever been to midnight, that mission is unchanged and has only grown more urgent and vital,” said Daniel Holz, the chair of the Bulletin’s Science and Security Board which sets the Doomsday Clock.

For media inquiries please reach out to Alex Frank, (703) 276-3264 and afrank@hastingsgroupmedia.com, or Max Karlin, (703) 276-3255 and mkarlin@hastingsgroupmedia.com.