Catherine Stihler OBE has been an international champion for openness as a legislator and practitioner for over 20 years.
Born in Scotland, Catherine was educated at the University of St Andrews, where she was awarded a Master of Arts (MA) with Honours in Geography and International Relations, and later a Master of Letters (MLitt) in International Security Studies. She also has a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from the Open University. In October 2014, Catherine became the 52nd Rector of the University of St Andrews, and today serves as the Chair of the governing body, University Court. In 2018 she was awarded an honorary doctorate (DLitt) in recognition of her service to the university.
She stood for election as a Member of the European Parliament for Scotland in 1999, representing the Labour Party. At the European Parliament she became one of Scotland’s longest-serving and most respected legislators.
Catherine was elected Vice-Chair of the European Parliament’s Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee, founded the Campaign for Parliamentary Reform and the Parliament’s All-Party Library Group, and was instrumental in securing graphic health warnings on cigarette packets across the EU.
In 2019, Catherine was awarded an OBE by Her Majesty the Queen in recognition of her services to politics. That same year, she stood down from the European Parliament to become the Chief Executive Officer of the Open Knowledge Foundation. During her 18-month tenure at the Foundation, Catherine redefined its vision and mission to produce a new strategic direction, re-engaged its global chapters and increased the worldwide profile of the organisation.
In August 2020, Catherine was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Creative Commons, a non-profit organisation that helps overcome legal obstacles to the sharing of knowledge and creativity to address the world’s pressing challenges.
"Catherine Stihler" by Martin Shields (martinshields.com) is licensed under CC BY 4.0
Here at Creative Commons, we know that the stories we tell and the people we engage are deeply connected, together forming the backbone of who we are and what we do. Our community generates our most powerful stories and also amplifies all the work we do, spreading the benefits of open knowledge and better sharing … Read More “CC welcomes Nate Angell”
I’d like to share with our community a congratulation and a heartfelt farewell to staff in the Creative Commons legal team. First, CC is excited to announce that longtime CC staffer, Kat Walsh, has been promoted to CC General Counsel. Kat was on the CC legal team from 2012-2015 during the drafting and initial publication … Read More “Congratulations and Farewell”
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Dear CC Community, It’s a very special day — today marks the 20th Anniversary of Creative Commons’ founding! Twenty years ago, Creative Commons started with a simple, radical idea: to save the internet from “failed sharing” and create a world where everyone has access to knowledge and creativity. What began as a simple idea and … Read More “A message from our CEO to the CC Community on Creative Commons’ 20th Anniversary”
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