Today, the Wikimedia Foundation, the global nonprofit that hosts Wikipedia, announced that two new members have joined its Board of Trustees:Michał BuczyńskiandBobby Shabangu. Both were elected through the 2025 community and affiliate selection process, during which contributors across the Wikimedia movement voted to fill two open seats. TheBoard of Trustees includes members elected by the Wikipedia community and affiliates and board-selected volunteers who collectively govern and oversee the Foundation. With Bobby and Michal, the board will total 11 members as of Jan 1, 2026.

“We are excited to welcome two longtime and respected Wikipedians who have earned the trust of their peers over many years of service. Both Michał and Bobby bring years of movement leadership experience and insight in their past roles representing their communities. This election also marks a new milestone for the Board, with the first Trustee from the African continent,” said Lorenzo Losa, chair of the Board of Trustees. 

Michał Buczyński has been a Wikimedian since 2004 and brings extensive leadership experience from within the Wikimedia movement. Based in Warsaw, Poland, Michał served nearly 14 years on the board of Wikimedia Poland, currently as vice-chair and secretary. He played a significant role in the formation and early development of the Wikimedia Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) Hub and has represented Wikimedia Poland in both the CEE regional network and Wikimedia Europe. Beyond his affiliate leadership, Michał has contributed globally as a member of the Grants Advisory Committee and previously as part of the Funds Dissemination Committee. As an economist and banking professional, he brings experience in finance, risk management, compliance, and technical product development.

“I have been a part of the Wikimedia movement since its early years and I am proud to start a new chapter in what has become one of the longest relationships of my life. It is an honor to be elected as a trustee on behalf of Wikimedia communities worldwide,” Michał said.

Bobby Shabangu is the first-ever trustee from the African continent. Bobby is an editor, organizer, and multilingual contributor based in Johannesburg, South Africa. A Wikimedian since 2013, he contributes to English Wikipedia and several southern African-language Wikipedias and previously served as an administrator for the Siswati- and IsiNdebele-language Wikipedias. His work spans Wikimedia Commons, Meta-Wiki, Wikidata, and the Incubator. Bobby has served on the board of Wikimedia South Africa, including as president, and currently chairs the WikiIndaba Steering Committee, which coordinates the annual conference for African communities. He is also a co-founder of Afrika Baraza, a platform designed to strengthen regional collaboration, capacity building, and knowledge exchange among Wikimedians across Africa.

“Most of the world’s young people live in the Global South and as Wikipedia looks to grow the next generation of editors and administrators, it is essential we understand their needs. As a longtime community member from the African continent, I will ensure their voices will be heard as the Wikimedia movement prepares for the next 25 years,” Bobby said.

Michał and Bobby have terms that will run until December 31, 2028. 

The Board thanks its three departing members, board chair Nataliia Tymkiv, Shani Evenstein Sigalov, and Mike Peel for their service and contributions. The next Wikimedia Foundation Board selection process will take place in 2027.

Bobby Shabangu is a long-standing Wikimedia volunteer, community leader, and open knowledge advocate with more than a decade of experience strengthening free knowledge across Africa and the Global South. He has been an active Wikimedian since 2013, contributing to multiple African-language Wikipedias, Wikimedia Commons, Meta-Wiki, Wikidata, and the Incubator. He previously served as an administrator for both the Siswati- and IsiNdebele-language Wikipedias, helping steward the growth and quality of emerging language communities.

Bobby has held several key governance and movement-support roles within Wikimedia. He served as president of Wikimedia South Africa, where he helped expand participation, deepen partnerships, and strengthen the chapter’s organizational capacity. He also chaired the WikiIndaba Steering Committee, supporting regional collaboration and helping to guide the annual WikiIndaba conference that brings together Wikimedians from across the African continent. In addition, Bobby is a co-founder of Afrika Baraza, a platform designed to foster continental coordination, skill-building, and cross-community support.

Bobby’s professional career includes work with the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and CGIAR, where he has contributed to research, communications, information, and knowledge management. He holds a BA (Hons) in Communications from the University of South Africa and has also studied Indonesian language and music theory at the Indonesian Arts Institute of Padang Panjang through the Darmasiswa program.

He lives in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Michał Buczyński has been a dedicated Wikimedian since 2004 and brings extensive leadership experience across the Wikimedia movement. Michał has served on the board of Wikimedia Poland for nearly 14 years as a vice-chair, chair, and currently being vice-chair and secretary, where he helps guide organizational governance and supports strategic initiatives. He played a significant role in establishing the Wikimedia Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) Hub and has represented Wikimedia Poland within the CEE regional network and in Wikimedia Europe. Beyond his affiliate leadership, Michał has contributed globally as a member of the Movement Charter Drafting Committee and previously as part of the Funds Dissemination Committee.

An economist by training, Michał has spent his professional career in banking risk management, reporting and regulation, and quantitative modelling. He is currently Director of Economic Capital Risk and Platforms at Standard Chartered AG, where he leads a team modeling credit risk. Before joining Standard Chartered Group, Michał spent nearly four years as Chief Specialist in Banking Inspection at the Polish Financial Supervision Authority. 

He earned a master’s degree in quantitative methods in economics and information systemsat the Warsaw School of Economics with Wikipedia as his research topic. He also studied business administration at the UCLA Anderson School of Management, and psychology at the University of Warsaw. 

He lives in Warsaw, Poland.

Can you help us translate this article?

In order for this article to reach as many people as possible we would like your help. Can you translate this article to get the message out?

Start translation