Sumi Aggarwal appointed as The Intercept’s first chief strategy officer

The Intercept is known for its fearless and original journalism. As a long-time reader and admirer, I am thrilled to be joining the team as the organization begins a new chapter.”

Sumi Aggarwal, chief strategy officer, The Intercept

The Intercept announces the hiring of Sumi Aggarwal as its inaugural chief strategy officer.

In this new role, Aggarwal will work with The Intercept’s leadership to set the organization’s vision and strategy, with a focus on impact, audience, and partnerships. She will oversee strategy implementation across the organization, helping to create a culture of impact and expand business development opportunities. She’ll also lead the organization’s efforts to identify new product opportunities and areas for revenue development, facilitating growth and innovation.

Aggarwal will report to The Intercept CEO Annie Chabel.

Aggarwal’s hire comes as The Intercept steadfastly strengthens its business and development operations. It also follows the organization’s restructuring as an independent organization and the appointment of its inaugural CEO and the first two members of its new board of directors, Nobel Prize-winning journalist Maria Ressa and Omidyar Group Managing Director Pat Christen.

“Sumi Aggarwal is not only a nonprofit news leader but also a widely respected journalist with an unparalleled strategic understanding of the challenges and opportunities of the U.S. and global media landscape,” Chabel said. “She brings a deep understanding of the kind of journalism produced at The Intercept and will certainly play a key role in the organization’s growth and development in the years to come.”

“The Intercept is known for its fearless and original journalism. As a long-time reader and admirer, I am thrilled to be joining the team as the organization begins a new chapter. I am particularly excited to partner with Annie and Roger to maximize the impact of the reporting and to extend our reach across audiences and new platforms,” Aggarwal said.

“We’re very happy that Sumi is joining The Intercept,” said Editor-in-Chief Roger Hodge. “There’s no substitute for experience, and Sumi’s deep understanding of investigative journalism will help connect the dots between our editorial ambitions and our business plans.”

Until last year, Aggarwal was the editor-in-chief at Reveal from the Center for Investigative Reporting. She joined CIR in May 2019 to lead the organization’s local and collaboration work before being promoted to editor-in-chief.

Prior to Reveal, Aggarwal spent nearly a decade at CBS News’ “60 Minutes,” where she produced a wide variety of stories, including an investigation into a 50-year-old civil rightsrelated murder, a historical story about an Egyptian double agent, a profile of Tabasco, and a deep dive into new scientific findings on the effects of sugar. She has also worked as a booking producer at “The Today Show” and led executive communications for Google’s Search and Maps teams. Aggarwal was also an adjunct professor at the City College of New York, where she helped establish the broadcast journalism curriculum.

Aggarwal is the recipient of a number of journalism awards, including the Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award, several News Emmys and an Edward R. Murrow Award. She has served as a judge for many prestigious journalism awards, including as a Pulitzer juror and a judge for the National Magazine Awards. She also serves on the boards of Type Media Center, Investigative Studios, and A Future for Every Child.

Aggarwal is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley and Columbia University’s
Graduate School of Journalism.