The Red Cross Tries Again

Interesting and, I think, wise choice by the American Red Cross for its new CEO: A former for-profit marketing professional turned Harvard marketing professor who has a ton of experience raising money. Even better, it took the organization just five months to land Gail J. McGovern. Given the Red Cross’s financial troubles and leadership tumult, this jumped out at me:

Ms. McGovern is a trustee at the Johns Hopkins University, and she co-chairs a campaign that initially set out to raise $2-billion over seven years. The campaign is two years ahead of schedule, and the goal has been raised to $3.2-billion. She also has organized fund-raising events for Children’s Hospital Boston, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and the United Way of Boston.

The Red Cross needs a stabilizing hand at the top, and one with the chops to restore both luster and funding. Gail McGovern sounds like a great person to give it a whack. | 501(c)

Tags: American Red Cross, Gail McGovern