Katherine A.W. McGrady, Ph.D.

Appointed CNA’s first chief operating officer in June 2009, Dr. Katherine McGrady is responsible for the execution of CNA’s strategy and business processes, assuring consistency of policy and approach across the organization, and maintaining an environment of accountability and high performance.

McGrady began her career with CNA as an analyst in 1988. As the field representative to the Commander of Marine Forces Central Command and Commander, I Marine Expeditionary Force, she served in the Persian Gulf during the first Iraq war (Desert Shield and Desert Storm). She also deployed as part of the Unified Task Force to Mogadishu, Somalia.

Subsequent assignments led to her selection as vice president and director, Integrated Systems and Operations (ISO) Division, where she led a team focused on issues at the interface between the Navy and Marine Corps, to include analysis of expeditionary systems, logistics, operations and tactics, and training for expeditionary operations. Simultaneously, she directed the Marine Corps Program, where she developed the annual research program and was the primary interface between CNA and the senior Marine Corps leadership.

In 2004, McGrady became CNA’s senior vice president for Research, providing oversight of research planning, research quality, cross-division staffing, and hiring, development and training of research staff. In 2006, she was promoted to executive vice president.

McGrady earned Ph.D. and M.S. degrees in Macromolecular Science and Engineering (Polymer Chemistry) at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, and a bachelor’s degree in Chemistry (cum laude) from Smith College, Northampton, MA.

Ph: 703.824.2905