Reflections on My First Anniversary
It was just over a year ago that I became the President and CEO of the American Red Cross, and I was recently asked what this first year has been like.
It’s a blessing to be a part of the American Red Cross, and frankly, it’s been a time filled with pleasant surprises. Many of the issues that I thought would be problematic turned out not to be.
The talent here is extraordinary. You can cut the organization both down and across and you’ll find that the talent is deep in every direction. You often hear that nonprofits have people with big hearts but lack the business acumen to run an institution, but nothing could be further from the truth here. For example, I’ve discovered that a large institution like the American Red Cross can be cost-conscious and fleet of foot.
Another wonderful surprise is the culture. We have an amazing group of people who have a deep passion for our mission. If you need to get something done and explain to Red Crossers how it benefits the people we serve, they immediately put their differences aside and swiftly change direction. I’ve seen this happen again and again since I’ve arrived.
This is a 128-year-old institution that is capable of changing with the times, yet as the world is changing around us, our mission and our intense commitment to the mission remain constant.
Filed under: Leadership
Thank you and congratulations on a very successful first year. Volunteers in the field I have visited with feel that the organization has direction – thank you for that and thank you for keeping us informed about where we are going! Here is wishing you many more happy years with Red Cross!
Congratulations for completing one year and thank you for your service to public
[...] President and CEO Gail McGovern (you’ve seen a couple of blog posts from her right here – hopefully more to come soon!) is giving a speech at 1pm EDT [...]
It’s easy to see how reducing costs and raising regulatory compliance standards could be at odds with each other. Your efforts and leadership have been instrumental in acheiving both of these goals without comprimising customer focus. Thanks Gail.