Co-Chair, McCain Institute Board of Trustees
Cindy McCain is an American diplomat, humanitarian, philanthropist, and businesswoman whose career has focused on advancing human rights, global food security, and humanitarian relief. A co-founder of the McCain Institute at Arizona State University and widow of U.S. Senator John McCain, she has built a distinguished career as a humanitarian leader, championing human dignity, advocating for vulnerable populations, and advancing human rights around the world. She has served on the boards of The HALO Trust, CARE, the Eastern Congo Initiative, and Operation Smile, and has been a leading advocate in the fight against human trafficking.
From 2021 to 2023, McCain served as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Agencies for Food and Agriculture in Rome. In 2023, she became Executive Director of the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), the world’s largest humanitarian organization.
During her tenure at WFP, McCain guided the organization through some of the world’s most urgent humanitarian crises, including conflicts in Gaza and Sudan, amid rising global hunger, mass displacement, and shrinking humanitarian resources. She championed food security as essential to global stability, advocating for humanitarian access, the protection of aid workers, and sustained international support for vulnerable populations.
Throughout her career, McCain has remained committed to protecting human dignity, strengthening international cooperation, and advancing the values of courage, service, and leadership that define John McCain’s enduring legacy.
