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California Academy of Sciences Announces New Chief Financial Officer

Jim Gohary brings unique blend of experience from finance, nonprofit, and government sectors

SAN FRANCISCO (January 18, 2024) — The California Academy of Sciences is pleased to announce that Jim Gohary, previously Managing Director and Global Head of Finance at MSCI, has been named Managing Director/Chief Financial Officer.

Before starting at the Academy, Gohary led a team responsible for driving enterprise financial management and strategy development at MSCI, a $2.5 billion company that provides tools and services for global investment firms and a leader in developing indexes designed to facilitate the move to low-carbon investments.

Prior to MSCI, Gohary spent eight years with the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a private financing arm of the World Bank Group, where he served as Regional Head of Equity and Long-term Debt Investments for EMEA (Europe, Middle East, and Africa). Before the IFC, Gohary held a number of finance leadership positions at GE Capital, including CFO of Budapest Bank in Hungary and CFO of Banc Post in Romania. He also served as a foreign service officer for USAID in Uganda and started his career as a small business development volunteer with the Peace Corps in Paraguay.

“We are delighted to welcome Jim Gohary to the Academy as we gain momentum on our mission to regenerate the natural world through science, learning, and collaboration,” said Academy Executive Director Scott Sampson, PhD. “Jim’s finance experience, both in the US and globally, will add an invaluable perspective to the Academy as we deepen our regeneration work through our Islands 2030, Hope for Reefs, and Thriving California initiatives.”