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Paula Schneider    

President & CEO at Susan G. Komen

Paula Schneider is President and CEO of Susan G. Komen®, responsible for the strategic direction and day-to-day operation of Komen’s research, community health, public policy advocacy and global programs. As such, Schneider is responsible for the world’s largest breast cancer research portfolio -- almost $1 billion in funding to date -- and a network of more than 80 Komen affiliates serving millions of women and men in the United States and globally. She brings a personal perspective to Komen’s mission as a breast cancer survivor whose mother died of metastatic breast cancer.

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. 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 a member and keynote speaker of C200, the preeminent global organization for the advancement of women business leaders. She also serves on the Bloomberg New Economy Forum’s International Cancer Coalition and is a member of Fast Company’s Impact Council.

Speech Topics

Leading Through Uncertain Times

“Once you’ve experienced something so personally challenging against your control, you start to sit comfortably around a thousand fires burning at once, and you can remain perfectly calm. That memo that went out two days late, or that board presentation that fell a little flat; none of those things were going to cure cancer. That’s the small stuff you don’t need to sweat.”

Disrupting Your Own Story

“I spent decades in retail, and it surprises people to see me running the world’s largest breast cancer nonprofit as my ‘second career.’ But no matter where you start, everyone has a magical transferrable skillset that can lead you to a new professional vocation. It’s so important to market yourself, but also have faith in the process.”

Human-Centered Sales

“There’s a massive culture shift happening in our society. Our employees and customers expect more from the companies and brands they love. People want to be more than a paycheck, more than a product they buy. They want proof that the companies and products they support reflect their own personal values.”

Surviving and Fighting Cancer

“Cancer is the biggest lesson in humility. You learn how to feel empowered when you are truly the least physically powerful of your life. To think, only 40 years ago, women were experiencing breast cancer silently and oftentimes, alone. Since then, we’ve come a far way in treatment, chance of survival and quality of life. But there is still so much work left to do, and it’s going to take a village.”

What It Takes to Cure Breast Cancer

“With any complex problem comes a complex solution. Komen is the only breast cancer organization taking a comprehensive, 360-degree approach to fight breast cancer across all fronts. This means we drive research; we provide care, financial assistance and endless resources to patients; we advocate for policies and protect patient rights; and we unify communities bonded by this disease so we can make an even bigger, collective impact.”

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