Kathy Beenen is retired from Opportunity International, where she was Senior Vice President, responsible for marketing and strategic initiatives. Opportunity International reaches over 15 million people globally, with an aim to help those living in extreme poverty build sustainable livelihoods; 95% of those served are women.

Kathy was a director of the National Center of Excellence in Women’s Health at the University of Minnesota and served on the Institutional Review Board. At the University of Minnesota Foundation, Kathy secured major gifts for women’s health initiatives and cancer research.

As a mechanical engineer, her early career focused on supply chain management at 3M. Solving problems and measuring meaningful results provided the foundation for her work in corporate, higher education and international nonprofit sectors.

Kathy earned a B.S. degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Notre Dame and an MBA from the University of St. Thomas.