Courteney Monroe

Courteney Monroe is president of National Geographic, overseeing the brand’s print and digital offerings, its vast social media footprint, National Geographic Documentary Films, as well as all Nat Geo content produced for National Geographic television networks and direct-to-consumer platforms Disney+ and Hulu.

Monroe has led a significant transformation of the more than 137-year-old global brand, modernizing it for the digital age and turning it into a destination for creatively ambitious storytelling that inspires a deeper connection to our world. With her at the helm, National Geographic continues to be the most followed brand on social media with over 777 million followers across all its social media channels. She’s also transformed the brand into a port of call for A-list creative talent including Darren Aronofsky, Awkwafina, Angela Bassett, David Blaine, James Cameron, Jimmy Chin, Brian Grazer, Chris Hemsworth, Ron Howard, Natalie Portman, Will Smith, Stanley Tucci, Mariana van Zeller and E. Chai Vasarhelyi, just to name a few.

Under Monroe’s leadership, Nat Geo has garnered more critical acclaim and awards recognition than ever before. Highlights include Vasarhelyi and Chin’s Oscar®- and BAFTA-winning “Free Solo”; Oscar-nominated films including Feras Fayyad’s “The Cave,” Sara Dosa’s “Fire of Love,” Christopher Sharp and Moses Bwayo’s Peabody-winning “Bobi Wine: The People’s President” and Julian Brave NoiseCat and Emily Kassie’s “Sugarcane”; Oscar-shortlisted films including Matthew Heineman’s “The First Wave” and “Retrograde,” and Alex Pritz’s Peabody-winning “The Territory”; scripted series “A Small Light,” which won a Humanitas Award; and Emmy® Award-winning series “Queens,” “Secrets of the Whales” and various installments in the “One Day in America” franchise, including “9/11: One Day in America” and “JFK: One Day in America.” In 2024, Nat Geo’s hit series “Life Below Zero” won its seventh Emmy for Best Cinematography, making it the winningest reality TV show in history for the category. Nat Geo also set its own record at the 2024 News & Documentary Emmy Awards earning the most nominations ever for the brand and securing 10 wins, including five wins for “Trafficked with Mariana Van Zeller.”

Monroe has propelled National Geographic beyond the iconic pages of its magazine, establishing the brand at the forefront of today’s digital landscape. By spearheading innovative and immersive journalistic projects, she has ensured National Geographic’s continued relevance while maintaining its unmatched reach on social media. In 2024, the Society of Publication Designers named National Geographic its Brand of the Year, one of the most prestigious awards in the publishing industry. Additionally, the brand was recognized with five Webby Awards.

Monroe is widely recognized as a trusted, collaborative leader who builds winning team cultures and delivers strong results.

She first joined National Geographic Channels U.S. in 2012 as chief marketing officer, managing the brand and all aspects of promotion as well as consumer and trade communications. From there, she was elevated to CEO of National Geographic Channels U.S. and then CEO of National Geographic Global Television Networks before taking on her current role. Prior to National Geographic she was executive vice president of Consumer Marketing and Digital Platforms for HBO, where she was responsible for marketing the HBO and Cinemax brands and their programming across all platforms.