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Panelist Biography

Guest Speaker Biographies - Brandee McHale

Last Updated: May 5, 2011


Brandee McHale is the Chief Operating Officer at the Citi Foundation.

The Citi Foundation is committed to the economic empowerment and financial inclusion of individuals and families, particularly those in need, in the communities where Citi works so that they can improve their standard of living.  The Foundation fulfills this mission by investing in non-governmental organizations that align with our economic empowerment focus, promote collaboration and effective use of philanthropic resources, engage Citi employees, and demonstrate measurable impact and positive outcomes. The Foundation targets it resources to program innovations in the following areas:  Microfinance; Enterprise Development; Financial Capability and Asset Building; and Youth Education and Livelihoods. In the U.S. the Citi Foundation also supports Neighborhood Revitalization programs that create economically vibrant communities and College Success efforts that aim to dramatically increase the number of low-income and first generation college graduates.

Ms. McHale is responsible for all of the Foundation’s grantmaking programs and operations including Citi Volunteers and Citi’s Office of Financial Capability whose mission is to leverage Citi’s people, products and philanthropy to increase low-income consumer financial capabilities. Ms. McHale joined Citi in 1991 and has a long history in both business management and philanthropy.  Before joining the Foundation, she served as the Director of Operations for Citi Community Capital the largest community development financing entity in the United States.  Earlier assignments included a series of increasingly responsible positions in Citi’s Community Relations and Community Reinvestment Act departments.    

In 2005, Ms. McHale left Citi to spend two years with the Ford Foundation developing a portfolio of investments that support low-income households’ efforts to participate in the mainstream economy, attain economic self -sufficiency and fulfill asset development goals. Brandee holds a Master’s Degree in Urban Policy from the New School for Social Research and is currently on the board of directors of the Corporation for Enterprise Development and chairs the Living Cities Income and Assets Working Group.