As president & CEO of Susan G. Komen, Paula Schneider is responsible for day-to-day operations, strategic direction, and is accountable for the world’s largest breast cancer organization. Komen has made more than $3.5 billion in investments in breast cancer research, advocacy and patient support since its founding in 1982, helping reduce the breast cancer mortality rate by 44%.

As a breast cancer survivor, mother of two daughters and having lost her own mother to metastatic breast cancer, Paula’s work is personal as she brings a unique combination of business expertise and real-world perspective to Komen’s mission.

During her tenure, Paula led Komen through an enterprise-wide restructuring, transforming Komen’s national network of independent local affiliate organizations into a single, united entity, leveraging shared operational functions while maintaining local development and mission teams across the country. Under her leadership, Komen today serves as a trusted health care guide, providing millions of people with safe, accurate, evidence-based information and education—as well as direct patient support services including financial assistance, patient navigation services, emotional support and resources.

Schneider is widely regarded as a business expert in organizational management and finance. Prior to Komen, she served as CEO of American Apparel, which was the largest vertically integrated clothing manufacturer in the U.S. with over 8,500 employees and 600 retail stores internationally. In this role, she navigated one of the most notable turnarounds in the retail sector, executing and emerging from prearranged Chapter 11 proceedings while burgeoning the brand’s importance. She previously served as president of the Warnaco Swimwear Group, the largest swimwear company in the world, with brands such as Speedo and Calvin Klein. As these were each public entities, her responsibilities comprised all facets of corporate governance and business oversight to include maximizing operational efficiencies, developing relevant marketing strategies and producing inspirational product offerings. Subsequently, Schneider became a senior advisor at the private equity firm, The Gores Group, where she created platform strategies for best-in-class operations and potential acquisitions. Schneider became the first female CEO in The Gores Group’s portfolio of companies.

Schneider is a sought-after public speaker on impactful leadership and women’s health. She has been a featured speaker at such thought leadership events as Fortune’s Most Powerful Women, Yahoo! Finance, Women in Retail, Milken Institute and Dreamforce. She is currently a member and keynote speaker of C200, the preeminent global organization for the advancement of women business leaders. Paula also serves on the Bloomberg New Economy Forum’s International Cancer Coalition and is a member of Fast Company’s Impact Council.

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