Katrina McGhee

Katrina McGhee, the executive vice president and chief marketing officer at the American Heart Association, is a best-selling author, award-winning podcast host and renowned speaker who has helped build and lead socially impactful nonprofit brands for over 25 years.

Her acclaimed expertise — coupled with her personal passion for empowering people — has strengthened organizations and helped individuals take charge of their lives, health and careers.

In her previous term at the AHA, McGhee created the organization’s first national campaign focusing on women’s heart health, Take Wellness to Heart. That laid the groundwork for the AHA’s Go Red for Women movement, which has profoundly improved the knowledge of heart disease risks among women. She also led multicultural awareness initiatives and public-private partnerships that generated millions of dollars in annual revenue.

Before returning to the AHA, McGhee was a successful consultant and coach, guiding executives in strategic planning, brand building, fundraising and career development, with an emphasis on improving the lives of women, children and under-resourced communities.

At Susan G. Komen for the Cure, McGhee was executive vice president and chief marketing officer, responsible for global marketing, business development and cause marketing. She also oversaw more than 200 corporate partnerships and over 140 Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure Series events, helping raise more than $350 million in annual revenue.

McGhee earned her bachelor’s degree at Southern University and A&M College in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and her master’s in business administration at the University of Texas at Arlington.