With extensive experience creating, supporting, and bolstering leaders, Mary Lee Gannon, ACC, CAE, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is the lauded president and executive coach of her own professional platform, MaryLeeGannon.com, through which she helps individuals and corporations navigate complex career and leadership challenges. Alongside her accomplishments as a coach and entrepreneur, Ms. Gannon has been president of the St. Margaret Foundation since 2009, overseeing the organization’s fundraising efforts and planning for its future.
Prior to her current position at St. Margaret Foundation, Ms. Gannon was president and chief executive officer of the Forbes Health Foundation, where she succeeded in rebuilding the organization following its bankruptcy, which, at the time, was the largest hospital bankruptcy in U.S. history, she said. Ms. Gannon raised $10.4 million for the hospital and an additional $1.5 million for its hospice program, establishing her reputation as a resourceful and highly capable leader. Her incredible achievement was shaped by her decision to reinvent her life in her mid-30s. With her indomitable spirit, the then-stay-at-home mother of four children ultimately survived a difficult divorce, homelessness with her kids, and relying on welfare and food stamps as she persevered and found new ways to support her family. To this end, she would come to thrive in the nonprofit sector and establish herself as the sought-after executive coach she is today.
Citing more of her outstanding experience, Ms. Gannon was executive director of the Ohio Valley General Hospital Foundation, before which she was executive director of the Three Rivers Advertising Specialty Association. She began her professional journey in 1980 as the assistant manager of the ophthalmic dispensing department at Memorial Hermann Hospital in the Texas Medical Center, serving in this role for two years. Now, outside of her primary roles, Ms. Gannon hosts “The Still Space,” a podcast dedicated to helping listeners manage their emotions and enhance self-mastery. As a former reporter for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, she developed strong communication skills, which she leverages these days to excel as an author and public speaker. Her book, “Trifecta of Self-Mastery,” focuses on key principles from her executive coaching practice, including self-awareness, self-regulation, and self-acceptance. She plans to edit and release the book to a broader audience in the coming years, as it is currently only available to her coaching clients.
Ms. Gannon has numerous awards for her professional prowess. In 2014, she received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Pittsburgh Society of Association Executives. Additional honors include the Women of Integrity Award from Pittsburgh Professional Women, the Honorary Woman of Courage Award from Pennsylvania Women Work, and WHIRL Magazine’s Women in Business Award. Further, as a devoted member of her community, Ms. Gannon has held leadership roles in various volunteer organizations, serving as the president of the Rotary Club of Fox Chapel, the Pittsburgh Society of Association Executives, and St. Lucy’s Auxiliary to the Blind. In addition, she chaired the development committee for the Center for Healthcare Solutions. In all her endeavors, Ms. Gannon draws strength and inspiration from her parents. Her father, a dentist, and her mother, a speech therapist, both exposed her to the world of health care from an early age.
Educationally, Ms. Gannon earned an associate degree in ophthalmic dispensing from Ferris State University. She also holds numerous professional credentials, including as a certified association executive (CAE) secured in 2022 from the American Society of Association Executives and as an associate certified coach (ACC) through the International Coaching Federation. Moreover, Ms. Gannon is certified by the Institute for Transformational Leadership – Georgetown University and has completed executive leadership programs at Harvard Medical School and Duquesne University. To aspiring professionals, she advises them to focus on identifying their unique skills while learning to manage their negative emotions.
Ms. Gannon plans to continue growing her MaryLeeGannon.com executive coaching practice while expanding the reach of her podcast and YouTube channel. Even after more than two decades, she remains just as committed to helping individuals and leaders achieve self-mastery and find fulfillment in their personal and professional lives. While Ms. Gannon has experienced closing million-dollar deals and building large-scale projects, she notes that she still finds the most satisfaction in helping one person at a time discover their own freedom and power.