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From assistant statistician to CEO, Gabel has dedicated his entire career to improving the human condition
RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. — Tim Gabel, president and chief executive officer, celebrates 40 years with nonprofit research institute RTI International this month after first joining RTI in July 1983 as an entry-level statistician.
In 2022, Gabel earned the top spot as the organization’s fifth president and CEO aiming to expand RTI’s mission to improve the human condition for greater impact around the world. He now leads a team of approximately 6,000 scientists, researchers and staff worldwide with 2,000 based in North Carolina. Together they serve 1,200 clients in more than 90 countries.
RTI Board of Governors Chair Peter M. Scott III said, “Forty years at RTI! What a milestone for Tim. The arc of his career is a great reminder of the benefits of hard work, team play and dedication to one’s profession. We feel very fortunate, indeed, to have Tim at the helm of the institute.”
Previously since 2012, Gabel served as the executive vice president of RTI’s largest business unit, overseeing approximately 3,000 professional staff who conduct a variety of research and technical assistance projects. He successfully grew the group from $391M to $667M in annual sponsored research, organically expanding existing divisions while overseeing the integration of acquisitions and development of strategic partnerships. Although varying in size and scope, common among those projects were complex multi-year, multi-million-dollar research studies that enabled government clients to make better policy decisions for citizens in the areas of climate, education, equity and health.
“It has been a great privilege to grow my career at RTI and I am honored to now lead one of the top nonprofit research institutes in the world,” said Gabel. “Our staff inspire me every day with their innovation, client focus and passion. They are the key to success in developing solutions to the world’s biggest challenges.”
Gabel is an active member of the American Statistical Association, American Association for Public Opinion Research and American Public Health Association. He co-edited the book The Essential Role of Language in Survey Research, published in 2020 by RTI Press. He also holds adjunct appointments at the University of Wyoming and the Gillings School of Global Public Health at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
A servant leader who is deeply committed to justice and equity, Gabel serves his community in a variety of volunteer roles, including board member of Go Global NC, former board member of the United Way of North Carolina, Tocqueville Society member of the United Way of Alamance County and member of the Board of Visitors for the University of Wyoming College of Arts & Sciences.
Learn more about RTI’s recent accomplishments in the FY22 annual report
