WASHINGTON – Administrator Linda McMahon of the U.S. Small Business Administration announced the appointment of Kathleen McShane as the Assistant Administrator for the SBA’s Office of Women’s Business Ownership. In this capacity, she will oversee the agency’s efforts to promote the growth of women-owned businesses.
“It is a pleasure to welcome Kathy to the SBA’s team of talented leadership who are committed to the development of small businesses across the nation,” McMahon said. “Her business acumen, accomplishments and private sector experience are a great fit for the SBA’s programs and resources that help to create more opportunities for women-owned small businesses to succeed, create jobs and drive economic growth. Her background as a small business owner and business leader will be a tremendous asset for women entrepreneurs and the small business community.”
McShane will manage a nationwide network of Women’s Business Centers that provide training, counseling and mentoring to hundreds of thousands of entrepreneurs in every state and two U.S. territories. Her office will also work with representatives in every SBA district office to oversee operations of the Women’s Business Centers and to coordinate services for women entrepreneurs.
McShane, an experienced business owner, created Ladies Launch Club in 2006. The company was dedicated to helping women entrepreneurs launch or expand their business. Prior to that, she ran a multimillion-dollar marketing firm, where her clients included HBO, MasterCard, Venastat, Bank of New Canaan, Citibank and JP Morgan Chase.
McShane spent 17 years in the corporate sector, where she worked primarily on credit card products for the small business segment. She was also an adjunct professor at New York University, a founding director of the Bank of New Canaan and served on the Norwalk Hospital Foundation Board.
McShane holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Boston University and attended Columbia Business School’s Executive Program in Management.