Elliot Gerson

An experienced attorney, public policy specialist, and corporate and non-profit leader, Elliot Gerson has served as the American Secretary for The Rhodes Trust for more than 15 years. As the fifth appointee to the position, Mr. Gerson oversees the administration of the Rhodes Scholars program in the United States, which comprises the largest constituency of the scholarship competition in the world. A Rhodes Scholar himself, Elliot Gerson studied at Magdalen College at the University of Oxford after winning the Rhodes Scholarship in 1973. He also attended Harvard College and Yale Law School.

Alongside his work with The Rhodes Trust, Elliot Gerson is the Executive Vice President of Policy and Public Programs and International Partners at the global nonprofit think-tank The Aspen Institute. The institute’s mission is to foster leadership through the creation of forums for the discussion of critical policy issues related to poverty, health care, economic policy, business ethics, education, the arts, philanthropy, foreign policy and many other areas. A member of the senior management team at the institute since 2004, Mr. Gerson also holds responsibility for maintaining connections with its international partners, which include institutions in eight countries in Europe and Asia.

In addition to his other responsibilities, Elliot Gerson speaks broadly and makes frequent contributions to various publications. Some of his most recent opinion pieces include The Huffington Post article “A New Leader for Africa,” which outlined the challenges faced by new Malawi President Joyce Banda, and “America Needs a Raise: The Case for a Higher Minimum Wage,” published in The Atlantic.