Elizabeth Duggal

Chair @ Meridian Center for Cultural Diplomacy

Elizabeth Duggal is an executive who brings years of strategic vision and change management to large, complex public and private institutions. With global experience in high profile positions, she has transformed organizations, worked with boards, led turn around initiatives and resolved major financial and structural issues, while navigating through crises, and raising hundreds of millions of dollars in the process. Duggal is the principal of Duggal Advisory and consults with business leaders and non-profits on an array of strategic, fundraising and operational initiatives. Select clients include Ford’s Theatre, Hispanic Society Museum and Library and National Human Genome Research Institute.

Until 2022, Duggal served as the Chief Operating Officer and Senior Deputy Director at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and Foundation. She oversaw all operations and finances of the Guggenheim’s landmark museum in New York City, as well as managed many administrative responsibilities for the Guggenheim Foundation and its constellation of museums.

Duggal came to the Guggenheim from an 18-year career with the Smithsonian, the world’s largest museum, education and research complex. During her tenure, she oversaw budgets and fundraising plans of hundreds of millions of dollars and held a number of senior leadership positions within the institution, including the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, National Museum of Natural History, National Museum of the American Indian and International Museum Professional Education Programs.

Previously, Duggal was a development executive for the British Museum supporting the $200M campaign for the redevelopment of the Great Court. In London, she also worked in the financial services industry at Salomon Brothers, Fidelity Investment Services, and American Express Europe.

Duggal was a member of the Board of Directors of Goldbug Inc (1990-2013) and chair of the board (2008 to 2013). Privately held with greater than $100M in annual revenues, Goldbug is one of the largest distributors of infant and children’s apparel and accessories in the US.

Active in community affairs, Duggal is chair of Meridian International Center for Cultural Diplomacy and serves on the Columbia Mailman School of Public Health Advisory Board. She is a trustee of the International Council of Museums ( ICOM US), Turquoise Mountain (US), the Jordan River Foundation (US) and is also trustee emeritus of Children’s National Medical Center (DC). She is on the honorary board of the Halcyon Organization in DC. She is the former board co-chair of ICOM US and former trustee of the Royal Oak Foundation, Futures for Children and was the inaugural chair of American Friends of the British Museum (UK).

Duggal earned an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations from Tufts University.