Ellen McKey has played senior leadership roles in academic and experiential exchange management,winning and overseeing large U.S. and foreign government contracts and designing, operationalizing and scaling new programs and services. Her portfolio has included the J. William Fulbright Foreign Student Program and the Brazil Scientific Mobility Program (BSMP), as well as highly customized foundation and privately sponsored programs. Her non-profit leadership experience includes strategic planning and implementation, risk management, innovating program delivery through new technologies, staff development and optimization and regulatory compliance (incl. OMB Uniform Guidance, J-1/2 visa sponsorship, GDPR).

Ellen served as Vice President of Student Exchanges and Chief of Innovation and Knowledge Management at the Institute of International Education (IIE), and before that, she oversaw academic fellowships at the American-Scandinavian Foundation (ASF). She has a Ph.D. and M.A. in German Literature from Rutgers University, and a B.A. from Wellesley College. She is also a productivity consultant for small non-profit organizations and a member of the National Association of Productivity and Organizational Professionals (NAPO).