Marguerite Gong Hancock named inaugural President and CEO

On behalf of the Board of Directors, I am honored to announce the appointment of Marguerite Gong Hancock as the inaugural President and Chief Executive Officer of the Palo Alto Museum.

We are thrilled to welcome a leader of Marguerite’s caliber at this pivotal moment. With the successful $14 million rehabilitation of the historic 20,000-square-foot Roth Building now complete, she will lead the effort to bring the Museum to life and open our doors to the public in Spring 2026.

Marguerite is a respected museum executive, education leader, civic innovator, political economist, and community builder. A Palo Alto native, she brings over 25 years of experience launching and growing pioneering organizations at the intersection of technology, business, education, culture, and society. Previously, she served as Chief Innovation Officer and Vice President of Programming at the Computer History Museum, where she pioneered initiatives and founded the Exponential Center. Earlier in her career, she spent two decades at Stanford University advancing research and education on global innovation and entrepreneurship and publishing three books.

With deep roots in Palo Alto, Marguerite combines a global perspective and a record of visionary leadership with a heartfelt understanding of what makes this city so special. Her unique blend of experience, passion, and insight makes her exceptionally well suited to guide the Museum into this new era of growth.

In partnership with the Board, as President and CEO, Marguerite will oversee the Museum’s strategy, development, programming, operations, team building, and partnerships. She will lead the charge to activate our physical space as a vibrant civic and cultural hub with exhibits, events, archives, educational programs, and gathering spaces. Over time, this will lay the foundation for the Museum to become a platform that connects audiences around the world with Palo Alto’s big ideas, innovation, impact and community. The future is bright.

This leadership position would not be possible without the extraordinary generosity of the Thoits family, one of Palo Alto’s founding families. Their $1 million gift to support the President and CEO role reflects their long-standing civic commitment and is a powerful investment in the cultural future of Palo Alto and its place in the world. We are deeply grateful for their vision and support. 

Marguerite and her husband, Dr. Russell Hancock, President and CEO of Joint Venture Silicon Valley, have raised their family in Palo Alto and they are delighted that their grandchildren now also call it home.

Please join the Board and me in a warm welcome to Marguerite Gong Hancock as our inaugural President and CEO. You can read more about Marguerite’s background here.

We look forward to all that lies ahead as the Museum takes its next bold steps—and we are so glad to have you with us on this journey.

With optimism and gratitude,

Nelson Ng
Chair, Board of Directors
Palo Alto Museum