Viral Video Star and Environmental Campaigner To Head Greenpeace USA

Story of Stuff Project

Greenpeace USA has named a new executive director.

Annie Leonard, a longtime environmental activist, investigator and former toxics campaigner for Greenpeace International, will replace Phil Radford, who is stepping down after five years.

Annie LeonardAnnie Leonard

A board member for Public Citizen and the Global Alliance for Incincerator Alternatives, Leonard is best known as the creator of an animated viral video, The Story of Stuff, about the hidden costs of consumer goods.

That video spawned The Story of Stuff Project, which has released 8 more videos that have been viewed some 40 million times. Leonard also turned the idea into a best-selling book. In a press release, Greenpeace praised her "abilities to build networks across communities and break down complex problems into simple stories."

Nevertheless, Leonard does not at first glance seem an obvious fit for the job. While the organization, which has an annual budget of $40 million and approximately 600 staffers, was originally seeking someone with "proven senior management experience," Leonard's LinkedIn profile does not appear to include such work.

That said, her video is highly enlightening. Have a look:

And here she is on "The Colbert Report" in 2010.

Update: After this post went live, Leonard emailed a response:

"Yes, managing such a large organization is a new challenge. But compared to the challenge of rebuilding our energy infrastructure to be clean and to reclaiming our democracy to work for people and the planet, building my management muscles is the least of my worries. Also, I am not managing 250 people; I am managing 10 incredibly smart and competent people, and am leading hand in hand with a strong and diverse board. Just like building the environmental movement, this is a group effort."