Peter T. Grauer, Chairman of Bloomberg, has been elected as the newest member of Room to Read’s Board of Directors, it was announced today by board co-chairs, John Wood and Tim Koogle. Grauer will also serve on the organization’s New York development board as a founding member.

Peter T. Grauer is Bloomberg Inc. Chairman, the parent company of Bloomberg, LP, a global financial media company that was founded in 1981. He has been a member of the Bloomberg Board since October 1996 and was named its chairman in March 2001, succeeding Michael R. Bloomberg.

“Bloomberg has been a valued investor and supporter of Room to Read for years, sharing our commitment to literacy. Peter’s appointment represents a heightened level of opportunity and builds upon the great successes we have had with Bloomberg as a corporate partner,” says John Wood, Room to Read Founder and Board Co-Chair. “In addition, Peter has been a valued mentor, and I always leave his office a bit more knowledgeable and more fired up than ever to change the world through the power of education. With Peter on board, we continue our model of thinking big and acting boldly.”

Bloomberg has supported Room to Read education projects across Asia and Africa since 2008. With Bloomberg's support, Room to Read has provided over 50,000 children and teachers with libraries and books. Bloomberg employees across the world have participated in events and activities in support of Room to Read's programs, including recently hosting a London preview screening of Half the Sky, an upcoming PBS docu-series featuring Room to Read based on the best-selling book by The New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn. In 2011, Bloomberg was the primary supporter of Room to Read's Book Publishing program in Asia, funding the printing of almost half a million children's books and story cards.

"The addition of Peter Grauer to our global board of directors exemplifies our commitment to scale with quality," says Tim Koogle, Co-chairman of the Room to Read Board, "Focused on smart growth to reach millions of children, the organization continues to draw upon the expertise of business leaders, merging best practices from the private sector with passion to change the world."

Grauer joined Bloomberg full time as Chairman, President and CEO in March 2002. Previously, he was a managing director of Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette from 1992 to 2000 when DLJ was acquired by Credit Suisse First Boston. He served as a managing director and senior partner of CSFB Private Equity until March 2002. Grauer is also a founder of DLJ Merchant Banking Partners and DLJ Investment Partners.

Grauer has been on the board of directors of over 25 public and private companies. He is a member of, and serves on, the Business Council’s Executive Committee and the International Business Council of the World Economic Forum’s Media, Entertainment and Information Industry Board of Governors.

A recent recipient of the Peterson Business Award, he has also received the William Richardson Davie Award, the Dean's Award for Distinguished Service to the College of Arts and Science at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and the Papal Order of Merit. He is a graduate of the University of North Carolina and the Harvard University Graduate School of Business, Program for Management Development.

Room to Read's Board of Directors, co-chaired by John Wood and Tim Koogle, also includes Yusuf Alireza, Christopher Beer, Craig Bruya, Scott Kapnick, Jerry del Missier, Kim Anstatt Morton, Fernando Reimers and John Ridding.