The Open Source Initiative (OSI), globally recognized as one of the stewards of the Open Source Definition, recently announced the appointment of Duane O’Brien as its new executive director.
O’Brien is a long-time Open Source leader with nearly 25 years of experience as a technologist, community advocate and strategist. He most recently led Collaborative Engineering at Capital One, where he oversaw the company’s Open Source Program Office, InnerSource initiatives, and standards for programming language adoption and implementation. Prior to that, he built and led the Open Source Program Office at Indeed and directed Open Source programs and operations at PayPal.
Throughout his career, O’Brien has focused on how organizations participate in Open Source communities responsibly, with an emphasis on sustainability, transparency and long-term support for the projects they depend on.
O’Brien has also been deeply engaged in the nonprofit and community side of the Open Source ecosystem. He serves on the board of the Open Source Collective and has contributed to initiatives focused on improving the sustainability of Open Source projects and the long-term health of the ecosystem. His work has included advising programs such as the GitHub Accelerator, Hacktoberfest and leading efforts to develop funding models that support maintainers and communities.
As an alumnus of the Technologist Fellowship program at George Mason University, O’Brien contributed to community and private analysis of the EU Cyber Resilience Act and proposed U.S. policies that directly impact the Open Source ecosystem.
Role and Current Priorities of the Open Source Initiative
As one of the stewards of the Open Source Definition, OSI plays a central role in maintaining clarity about what constitutes Open Source software and supporting the communities, companies, and public institutions that rely on it.
In 2025, OSI’s work reflected the growing importance of Open Source in technology policy and global digital infrastructure. The organization drove creation of the Open Source AI Definition, establishing a framework for evaluating openness in AI systems and addressing the growing problem of “openwashing.”
OSI also expanded engagement with policymakers and standards bodies in Europe as new regulatory frameworks—including the EU AI Act and the Cyber Resilience Act—began shaping how Open Source software is developed, distributed and governed.
Alongside this policy work, OSI continued its core stewardship work on licensing, standards participation and research into Open Source policy and data governance.
“The Open Source Initiative exists to steward the Open Source Definition and to maintain trust in the structures that support open collaboration,” said Deb Bryant, interim executive director of the Open Source Initiative. “That responsibility requires leadership grounded in both community experience and institutional care. Duane has spent many years working across companies, foundations and Open Source communities to strengthen the sustainability of the ecosystem. I’m confident that his perspective and commitment to thoughtful stewardship will serve OSI well as the organization continues its work on behalf of the global Open Source community.”
“Open Source works because people and organizations come together and collaborate to solve shared problems,” said O’Brien. “For years I’ve focused on helping companies become thoughtful partners with the communities they depend on – by supporting maintainers, investing in sustainability, and showing up with transparency and respect. The Open Source Initiative plays a critical role in the ecosystem by clarifying what Open Source means and safeguarding the principles that make collaboration possible. At a moment when Open Source is central to conversations about AI, cybersecurity and global technology policy, I’m honored to join OSI and look forward to working with the board, staff and community to meet the challenges ahead.”
O’Brien assumes the role following a leadership transition initiated in 2025 when OSI began a search for its next executive director. During that time, Bryant served as interim executive director while continuing to guide the organization’s work in policy and community engagement.
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