Spring 1997

Elizabeth Dole names Branam chief office for Red Cross

American Red Cross President, Elizabeth Dole, has appointed Matt Branam (C.E., ’79) as chief operating officer for the American Red Cross. Branam will be responsible for daily operations of all service units as well as information services, human services, finance, audit and strategic planning and evaluation.

"Matt is known and respected as a bottom-line results oriented leader," said Dole. "He brings extensive experience with long-range asset and resource management plans. He has a proven track record in creating and implementing programs designed to bring daily operations in line with strategic goals," she said.

Regarding his new duties, Branam said, "What better way to fulfill my long-term goal of humanitarian service than to join the rich tradition of the American Red Cross.

"This is a great opportunity for me to put my years of business experience to good use helping families and communities. After all, each of us has something unique to offer and it’s up to us to plug in where we can make the most difference," he stated.

Prior to accepting the COO post at the American Red Cross, Branam served as corporate vice president at United Parcel Service (UPS).

The Red Cross has been lauded as the "top-rated charity in America" by Money magazine. In the last year, the Red Cross, with its 1.3 million volunteers, provided nearly half of the nation’s blood supply, assisted with more than 63,000 disasters and provided 14.5 million people with family disaster preparedness information. It connected military families with their loved ones serving around the world by relaying more than 4,000 emergency communications every day, and saved countless lives by training nearly 13 million people in health and safety courses.