Dr. Mandy Cohen is one of the nation’s leading health experts, with a distinguished career spanning top roles in both federal and state government. As the most recent Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), she led the agency through critical public health responses to threats like avian flu, mpox, Marburg, and ongoing COVID-19 challenges. Under her leadership, the CDC underwent transformative changes in structure, strategy, and communication—modernizing data systems, expanding genomic and wastewater surveillance, and strengthening relationships across sectors.

Now serving as National Advisor at Manatt Health, Dr. Cohen guides clients across healthcare, government, and the private sector on care delivery innovation, AI integration, Medicaid transformation, and public health strategy. Dr. Cohen offers audiences a rare combination of policy insight, crisis-tested leadership, and forward-looking expertise on emerging healthcare technologies. She equips leaders with the tools to navigate change and drive impact across the evolving health landscape.

Exclusively represented by Leading Authorities speakers bureau, Dr. Cohen also served as Secretary of Health and Human Services for North Carolina, where she earned national recognition for her transparent, trust-based approach to managing the COVID-19 crisis. She spearheaded a major overhaul of the state’s Medicaid program, launching an innovative model focused on “whole person health” and establishing the first statewide platform to integrate social services with healthcare delivery. She also held key leadership roles at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, helping to implement the Affordable Care Act and expand access to insurance and value-based care.

A trusted voice in healthcare innovation and leadership, Dr. Cohen has been recognized with numerous national honors, including the TIME100 Health list and election to the National Academy of Medicine. She holds degrees from Cornell, Yale, and Harvard, and currently serves as an adjunct professor at the University of North Carolina. Residing in Raleigh with her family, Dr. Cohen continues to shape the future of public health and healthcare through her commitment to data-driven solutions, emerging technologies, and smart policy design.