Kathleen “Katie” McGinty is Vice President and Chief Sustainability and External Relations Officer for Johnson Controls where she is responsible for driving the company’s top-tier sustainability performance, including recognition as one of the world’s 100 most sustainable corporations.

In her role, she champions technology development, sustainability, and creative policies tackle climate change, encourage smart buildings and energy efficiency, drive impactful net-zero carbon strategies and bring forward initiatives and partnerships that are needed to solve tough environmental problems and chart a positive course for the future of the planet.

Katie has more than 25 years of public and private sector experience and is a recognized innovator in clean energy and environmental protection. Her public sector career includes being the first woman to serve as Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality and as Deputy Assistant to President Clinton (1993-98), as Pennsylvania Secretary of Environmental Protection (2003-08), and as Chair of the Pennsylvania Energy Development Authority (2004-08).

She currently serves on several boards, including the International Steering Committee of the World Sustainable Development Summit, American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy, the Carnegie Mellon Scott Institute for Energy Innovation, the Energy Futures Initiative and MN8 Energy (formerly Goldman Sachs Renewable Power, LLC).

Katie holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from St. Joseph's University and a law degree from Columbia University. She served as a Senior Visiting Fellow at TERI in New Delhi, India, and has received awards and recognitions, including honorary doctorates from Muhlenberg University, Dickinson College, and Clarion State University.

Over the course of her career, Katie has received recognition for her environmental work and influence, including "Woman of the Year" from the Women's Council on Energy and the Environment (2004), one of the Top Women in HVAC by ACHR News (2021), one of the Top 100 Women in Sustainability by Sustainability Magazine (2022), one of 25 women honored for climate leadership by GreenBiz (2022), and one of the Most Influential Women Executives in Corporate America by Women Inc. Magazine (2022).