Rosemary McGillan

Rosy currently serves as chief marketing and communications officer for the American Red Cross, a humanitarian organization that prevents and alleviates human suffering in the face of emergencies; sheltering, feeding and providing comfort after disasters; supplying about 40% of the nation’s blood; teaching skills that save lives; providing international humanitarian aid; and supporting military members, veterans and their families.

She has spent 25 years developing and implementing integrated communications and marketing programs around a variety of health and social issues, including a special focus on mental health and issues impacting older Americans. Her specialties include developing strategies for industry, government and non-profit organizations seeking to change behavior around topics like chronic disease, health care quality and access.

Rosy previously worked at Porter Novelli, a global communications and marketing agency known for its work driving social change. As an Executive Vice President and Global Purpose Practice Director, she represented federal government agencies like the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as well as the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Her pharmaceutical industry experience includes work for leading international corporations and includes FDA approvals, issues management and advocacy. She directed a multi-year initiative with the Administration for Community Living, including development of Alzheimers.gov as part the National Alzheimer’s Action Plan. Rosy also served as executive lead for the American Psychiatric Association, the Coalition to Transform Advanced Illness Care and a host of other non-profit organizations.

While with MSL PR, Rosy worked with the American Heart Association and global industry partners on a multi-year health education program to reduce diabetes-related cardiovascular disease. Other work included a major campaign for The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, a healthcare quality initiative born out of the Institute of Medicine’s To Err is Human report. While on staff at the National SAFE KIDS Campaign, Rosy provided communication and marketing support for national transportation safety programs on behalf of General Motors and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and poison prevention efforts for Johnson & Johnson.

She received her B.A. in political science from the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and her M.A. in journalism and public affairs from American University.