Overture Maps Foundation Names William Mortenson as New Executive Director

Experienced geospatial executive with a strong background in national mapping policies will lead Overture's next phase of expansion and adoption

SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 3, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Overture Maps Foundation, a collaborative effort to build a foundational base layer of map data to facilitate data exchange, today announced Will Mortenson as its new executive director as Overture moves into its next phase of growth and industry leadership.

Mortenson has an extensive track record as a senior geospatial official in the U.S. federal mapping world and was most recently the director of the Office of Geography at the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA). He succeeds Overture's inaugural executive director, Marc Prioleau, who announced that he would be retiring at the end of the year.

"Overture's work to date has positioned it as a cornerstone of the open geospatial ecosystem," said Mortenson. "I am excited by Overture's collaborative model, bringing organizations together to solve problems no one organization can solve alone. Overture is tackling one of the biggest challenges in mapping today: conflating and connecting geospatial data and the industry sees explosive growth in the types and availability of that data. Overture is creating a shared reference system that allows standardized and non-standardized data alike to flow into the ecosystem quickly and reliably. And we're doing it in a way that is open and accessible to everyone, because future success isn't about who owns the most data, but how we enable others to use data to make better decisions. I'm honored to build on what the Overture community has created as we drive the next phase of adoption, quality, and interoperability."

Mortenson brings more than 25 years of experience leading geospatial data modernization across government and defense organizations, expertise that aligns directly with Overture's next phase of growth. He has successfully driven transformations that harness automation, AI/ML, and new operational models to dramatically improve data quality and efficiency at scale. With a deep understanding of the global challenge of conflating vast and diverse datasets, he recognizes the need for interoperable standards that bridge both public and private sectors. Mortenson's track record in building partnerships and aligning stakeholders around shared outcomes will help accelerate the adoption of Overture's open base layers and GERS as foundational infrastructure for the broader geospatial ecosystem.

"We're excited to welcome Will to Overture," said Nick Lee, chair of the Steering Committee for the Overture Maps Foundation and Corporate Vice President of Microsoft Maps & Local. "He brings a perspective that is both unique and deeply relevant, with firsthand experience leading geospatial initiatives in government alongside a clear understanding of how industry operates. Will recognizes the true scale of the conflation challenge and why Overture exists. He has been an advocate for this work long before joining our community. Strengthening ties with government and public-sector partners is one of the biggest opportunities ahead, and Will is the right leader to help drive that expansion. Combined with the rest of our leadership team, he brings the vision and collaborative mindset needed to guide Overture into its next phase of adoption and impact."

Added Prioleau: "Will has long been an advocate for open data and the role it can play in the geospatial applications. He's a collaborative manager who will help realize the potential for open map data, interoperability, and increased collaboration across industry, government, and other sectors of the geospatial world."

Since its 2022 founding, Overture's mission has been to create reliable, user-friendly, and interoperable open map data that supports current and future map products. That vision has attracted more than 40 companies and organizational members from all corners of the globe.

Overture's GERS was recently cited by Fast Company magazine as one of the 2025 "Next Big Things in Tech," which underscores that innovation in mapping impacts not just the geospatial industry but companies and consumers at large.

About Overture Maps Foundation

Founded in 2022 by Amazon Web Services (AWS), Meta, Microsoft, and TomTom, Overture Maps Foundation builds a foundational base layer of open map data to facilitate data exchange across the global geospatial ecosystem. With more than 40 contributing companies spanning a wide swath of industries, public sector stakeholders, and mapping and geospatial communities, Overture provides the shared infrastructure and standards that enable organizations to focus on developing innovative map applications with greater efficiency.

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SOURCE Overture Maps Foundation