Room to Read Appoints Mike Cannon-Brookes as Global Board Chair

March 20, 2026 – Room to Read, a  global education organization focused on nurturing children’s foundational learning skills, today announced the appointment of Mike Cannon-Brookes as chair of its global board of directors, with Andrew Balls assuming chair-elect.  

“Mike brings the rare combination of entrepreneurial imagination, global leadership, and a deep belief in the transformative power of education,” said Dr. Geetha Murali, CEO of Room to Read. “He understands that lasting change happens when innovation strengthens the people at the heart of systems. As we enter our next chapter with a focus on supporting educators, expanding access to local-language learning materials, and thoughtfully using technology to scale impact, Mike’s leadership will help us benefit more children, more effectively, than ever before.” 

Cannon-Brookes is CEO and Co-Founder of Atlassian, the global software company behind collaboration tools including Jira, Confluence, Trello, and Loom.  

Cannon-Brookes has supported Room to Read for more than 20 years, playing an instrumental role in the organization’s growth and leading Atlassian’s transformational 17-year partnership with Room to Read. Through this partnership, Atlassian has helped benefit more than 787,000 children by providing funding and sharing technology expertise to help scale programs and reach more children faster. The partnership also engages Atlassian employees globally, with up to a quarter of staff participating in the payroll giving initiative Dollars a Day, further amplifying its impact. 

“Education remains the foundation of opportunity,” said Cannon-Brookes. “I’ve supported Room to Read for nearly 20 years because this organisation works - with real quality, real rigor, and real impact. It’s focused on lasting change, helping educators succeed and giving more children the literacy and life skills that can change the trajectory of their lives. I’m honoured to serve as Global Board Chair and help expand that impact for the next generation.” 

Andrew Balls, PIMCO’s CIO for Global Fixed Income, will assume board chairmanship in 2028. 

A full listing of Room to Read’s global board of directors can be found at https://www.roomtoread.org/leadership-board/board-of-directors/.