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Dawn M. Sweeney is at the vanguard of a sea change for American consumers: redefining life as we age. Ms. Sweeney is President and CEO of AARP Services, the wholly-owned taxable subsidiary of AARP that leads the market in developing products and services that are changing and challenging the idea of aging for millions of active baby-boomers and older Americans. Defying stale conceptions of consumer attitudes among older Americans, Ms. Sweeney has redefined the market by developing a wide range of dynamic products, services and research for AARP's 38 million members that help them have the independence, choice and control they demand as they age.
In her current role since 2002, Ms. Sweeney is focused on expanding and tailoring the AARP-endorsed product line of health and wellness offerings, financial and economic security products, and lifestage and personal growth initiatives for a discriminating market that possesses more than 70% of America's disposable income. Ms. Sweeney is responsible for generating annual revenues of nearly $600 million to support the mission of AARP, with nearly 11 million AARP members using the products that AARP Services manages. The organization has experienced double-digit sales and revenue growth each of the past four years under her leadership. Ms. Sweeney's stewardship of AARP Services includes the recently-launched AARP Financial, which offers financial planning services such as a suite of mutual funds, AARP Funds. This business unit aims to help Americans improve the ways they save and invest.
To facilitate AARP Services' efforts to understand the minds of boomers, Ms. Sweeney has been instrumental in the conceptualization and creation of Focalyst, AARP Services' joint venture with The Kantar Group (a division of the WPP Group). Focalyst's aim is to become the leading source of data analysis, market research, insight and advice about Boomers and 50+ consumers.
Previously, Ms. Sweeney was AARP's Group Executive Officer for Membership for nearly three years, responsible for leading member recruitment and retention, brand development and AARP The Magazine/AARP Bulletin. Among her 25 years of experience in marketing, advocacy and social policy work, Ms. Sweeney's previous leadership includes positions at the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, the International Dairy Foods Association, where she directed the marketing strategy, launch and implementation of the nationwide "milk mustache" campaign, which continues to reinvigorate milk sales today.
She currently sits on several Boards, including those of Save the Children, AARP Financial, Inc. and Focalyst. She is chair of Save the Children's Washington Leadership Council and was featured in Profiles in Diversity Journal as a "Woman Worth Watching in 2006." She was recently honored as one of Washington Business Journal's "Women Who Mean Business 2006." Ms. Sweeney also has served on The Conference Board and is a member of the Committee of 200 and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's "Committee of 100".
Ms. Sweeney holds a BA in Government from Colby College and an MBA in Marketing from The George Washington University. | 