World Heart Federation Honors American Heart Association CEO with Lifetime Achievement Award
Nancy Brown receives global recognition for her transformative leadership in advancing cardiovascular health worldwide through scientific innovation and quality improvement initiatives.
The World Heart Federation will honor Nancy Brown, chief executive officer of the American Heart Association, with its prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award on August 29 at the European Society of Cardiology Congress and World Congress of Cardiology in Madrid. The award recognizes Brown's extraordinary leadership and lifelong commitment to transforming cardiovascular health globally through her work with the American Heart Association.
Brown has served as CEO of the American Heart Association since 2008, having joined the organization in 1986 and held multiple leadership positions including chief operating officer. Under her guidance, the association has advanced lifesaving science, innovation, and advocacy across more than 100 countries through quality improvement initiatives, scientific collaboration, and community-based interventions. The World Heart Federation cited Brown's visionary leadership, global partnerships, and unwavering commitment to improving health outcomes as transformative in combating cardiovascular disease, the world's leading cause of death.
Among Brown's significant accomplishments is the development of global quality improvement programs that evolved from concepts in the late 1990s into robust initiatives including Get With The Guidelines and American Heart Association certification programs operating in the United States, Mexico, Latin America, India, and parts of Asia. These programs help measure and ensure consistent, evidence-based care in time-sensitive medical emergencies such as heart attack, stroke, and cardiac arrest.
Brown has also accelerated research and innovation through initiatives like the Go Red for Women Venture Fund®, which has invested $75 million in companies addressing gaps in women's heart and brain health. Overall, the American Heart Association has invested $6.1 billion in research since 1949. Additionally, Brown has mobilized lifesaving campaigns including the Nation of Lifesavers™ CPR education effort, which aims to double survival rates from sudden cardiac arrest by 2030. The association trains approximately 22 million people annually in CPR and develops first aid and resuscitation guidelines used globally.
Jagat Narula, M.D., Ph.D., president of the World Heart Federation, stated that Brown embodies the organization's mission to be a relentless force for longer, healthier lives and demonstrates through her work that everyone deserves access to quality health care. The World Heart Federation, with members consisting of more than 200 heart foundations, scientific societies, and patient organizations spanning over 100 countries, recognizes Brown's contributions as having made substantial impact on global cardiovascular health outcomes.