Board Member

Richard L. Plepler

Richard L. Plepler

Founder and CEO, EDEN Productions

Richard L. Plepler is founder and CEO of EDEN Productions, a film and TV production company that was announced in January 2020 with the signing of a multiyear exclusive content deal with Apple TV+. Previously, Plepler was chairman and CEO of Home Box Office, Inc. (HBO) from 2013 to 2019, culminating twenty-eight years at the company. Under his leadership, HBO came to be associated with some of the most critically acclaimed programming on television. A particular focus of Plepler’s was documentaries; projects he commissioned include A World in Disarray, Cries from Syria, Panic: The Untold Story of the 2008 Financial Crisis, and The Diplomat.

He was inducted into the Cable Hall of Fame in 2018, was named Media Person of the Year by the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity in 2014, earned the International Emmy Directorate Award for his impact on the industry from the International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences in 2015, and won the Variety Vanguard Award for contribution to the TV business in 2017.

 

Taiwan

Why China-Taiwan Relations Are So Tense
Differences over Taiwan’s status have fueled rising tensions between the island and the mainland. And Taiwan has the potential to be a flash point in U.S.-China relations.

Backgrounder by Lindsay Maizland August 3, 2022

Mexico

The U.S. Immigration Debate
Comprehensive immigration reform has eluded Congress for years, moving controversial policy decisions into the executive and judicial branches of government.

Backgrounder by Claire Klobucista, Amelia Cheatham and Diana Roy August 3, 2022 Renewing America

North Korea

What to Know About Sanctions on North Korea
World powers continue to punish North Korea with economic sanctions, but the pressure has so far failed to push Pyongyang toward denuclearization.

Backgrounder by CFR.org Editors July 27, 2022

Top Stories on CFR

Taiwan

As China Punishes Taiwan for Pelosi’s Visit, What Comes Next?
U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi became the first speaker in twenty-five years to visit Taiwan.

Blog Post by David Sacks August 4, 2022 Asia Unbound

Mexico

The U.S. Immigration Debate
Comprehensive immigration reform has eluded Congress for years, moving controversial policy decisions into the executive and judicial branches of government.

Backgrounder by Claire Klobucista, Amelia Cheatham and Diana Roy August 3, 2022 Renewing America

Sri Lanka

Family Ties Led to Sri Lanka's Collapse. What Does This Mean for South Asia?
Sri Lanka’s collapse should be a wake-up call for other South Asian countries that suffer from the same trend of “familycracy.”

Blog Post by Anu Anwar July 28, 2022 Asia Unbound