Carol LeBlanc

Carol LeBlanc is the president of Smithsonian Enterprises where she oversees the commercial activities of the Smithsonian Institution with four primary business divisions: media, retail, eCommerce and travel.

The media division includes Smithsonian magazine, which reaches more than 6.5 million monthly readers; the online platform smithsonianmag.com, with more than 130 million annual visitors;  and the award-winning Smithsonian Channel, which is available as part of the Paramount Global portfolio on all cable, satellite and telecom providers as well as streaming platforms, nationally and internationally. Smithsonian Channel has received 200 awards, including News & Documentary Emmy Awards, Peabody Awards and a Television Academy Honors Award.

The retail division includes 39 retail venues, including the museum stores, two IMAX theaters, food concessions, visitor parking, Smithsonian Books and a licensing program with more than 80 licensees in categories such as toys, publishing, collectibles, jewelry, home, student travel and classroom materials.

The eCommerce division includes smithsonianstore.com, featuring products from every Smithsonian museum and the National Zoo, as well as limited-edition merchandise drops associated with key events at the Smithsonian.

The travel division includes Smithsonian Journeys, the Institution’s 50-year-old cultural travel program with more than 300 annual departures, and Smithsonian Student Travel.

Prior to her appointment as president, LeBlanc was the director, vice president and senior vice president within Smithsonian Enterprises’ consumer and education products division. During this time, LeBlanc grew the business by negotiating many first-time agreements, including a direct-to-retail deal with QVC; promotional programs with Kraft and Subway; strategic partnerships with The Great Courses, Harvard Extension School and Carnegie Learning; and travel programs with MT Sobek and WorldStrides.

Before joining the Smithsonian, LeBlanc held two vice president positions in the consumer products area at Discovery Communications from 1999 to 2008. In these roles, she led the merchandise, retail development, publishing and home entertainment businesses in North America, and she managed licensing programs for the Discovery Channel, Animal Planet and Discovery Kids networks as well as programs built around hit series including Trading Spaces, American Chopper and Miami Ink.

From 1988 to 1998, LeBlanc worked for National Public Radio, initially in a business affairs role and then as manager of the Business Initiatives Group where she directed the daily operations of the audio, print and consumer products business.

A resident of Washington, D.C., LeBlanc earned her Bachelor of Science and Master of Business Administration degrees from the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland, College Park.

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SI-189-2024