LOS ANGELES, CA.- The Board of Trustees of the J. Paul Getty Trust today announced it has elected former Ambassador Ronald P. Spogli as a member of the board.

The former United States Ambassador to the Italian Republic and to the Republic of San Marino, Ambassador Spogli is president and CEO of Freeman Spogli & Co., Inc., one of the leading private equity investors in the United States.

"We are delighted to welcome Ron Spogli to the Getty," said Louise Bryson, chair, on behalf of the entire Getty Board of Trustees. "Ron brings substantial experience in global affairs, recognized leadership in Italy where we look forward to strengthening particularly meaningful partnerships, a distinguished record of financial acumen and strong support for research and higher education."

Ambassador Spogli served as U.S. Ambassador to Italy from 2005 to 2009. He lived in Italy years earlier, when he was a student at Stanford’s Florence campus and then worked for the Florence program. Later, he lived in Milan where he was lead researcher for a project studying the social impact of labor migration from Southern Italy to the Italian industrial north.

As a result of his student experience in Italy, he has endowed two university positions at Stanford: the Gesue and Helen Spogli Professorship in Italian Studies and The Spogli Family Overseas Studies Director position at the Florence, Italy campus. Together with his business partner, Bradford M. Freeman, he endowed The Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies (FSI), Stanford’s primary center for rigorous and innovative research on major international issues and challenges.

Ambassador Spogli has been a member of the boards of directors of over two dozen companies. He received his A.B. in history from Stanford University in 1970 and an M.B.A. from Harvard University in 1975.

In 2008, Ambassador Spogli received the Sue M. Cobb Award for Exemplary Diplomatic Service, the State Department’s highest honor for political appointee ambassadors.