Cindy Hensley McCain

Cindy Hensley McCain is an American businesswoman, philanthropist, and humanitarian, and is the wife to the late U.S. Senator John McCain.

Cindy Hensley McCain has dedicated her life to improving the lives of those less fortunate both in the United States and around the world. As the Chair of the Board of Trustees of the McCain Institute for International Leadership at Arizona State University, she oversees the organization’s focus on advancing character-driven global leadership based on security, economic opportunity, freedom, and human dignity.

As an advocate for children's health care needs, Cindy founded and ran the American Voluntary Medical Team (AVMT) from 1988 to 1995. AVMT provided emergency medical and surgical care to impoverished children throughout the world. Cindy led 55 medical missions to third-world and war-torn countries during AVMT's seven years of existence.

Cindy also chairs the Institute’s Human Trafficking Advisory Council. This is an issue she cares deeply about and is committed to ending human trafficking and supporting victims in Arizona, the United States and around the world. Through her work with the McCain Institute, several partnerships have been formed with anti-trafficking organizations working on solving various aspects of the problem. She also serves as co-chair of the Arizona Governor’s Council on human trafficking.

In addition to her work at the McCain Institute, she serves on the Board of Directors of Project C.U.R.E and the Advisory Boards of Too Small To Fail and Warriors and Quiet Waters. Cindy holds an undergraduate degree in Education and a Master’s in Special Education from the University of Southern California and is a member of the USC Rossier School of Education Board of Councilors.

Cindy is also the Chairman of her family’s business, Hensley Beverage Company, which is one of the largest Anheuser-Busch distributors in the nation.