The Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI) has named Lisa Olson, PhD, as its new executive director. Olson brings deep experience and expertise in the cardiovascular field and a vision for continuing to advance SCAI’s mission.

Olson joins SCAI from consulting firm aha Group, which she launched in 1999 to provide strategic marketing, market research, development and business planning to medical industry organizations. Her clients included the American College of Cardiology, WomenHeart, Heart Rhythm Society, and the George Washington University Medical Center, among others.

“Lisa’s deep knowledge of the cardiovascular field, combined with her non-profit management experience, will be a significant asset to SCAI as we continue to expand our mission of providing the optimal care to heart patients,” said SCAI 2014-15 President Charles Chambers, MD, FSCAI.

Previously, Olson served as executive director of the Cheney Cardiovascular Institute at George Washington University, where she led research, fundraising and day-to-day management of the institute, helping expand its outreach to underserved populations in Washington, D.C. She was the founding executive director of the Heart Rhythm Foundation and an associate executive vice president for the American College of Cardiology. She has also held adjunct faculty positions, most recently with The Johns Hopkins University Business of Medicine program.

Olson holds a B.S. in marketing from Arizona State University, an MBA in the management of technology and science, and a PhD in business from The George Washington University.

“SCAI is the leading voice for interventional cardiology, and I look forward to working with its members and staff to further expand efforts to continuously improve quality and increase access for patients with heart disease,” said Olson, who will begin her work at SCAI in October.

About SCAI

Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions is a 4,000-member professional organization representing invasive and interventional cardiologists in approximately 70 nations. SCAI's mission is to promote excellence in invasive and interventional cardiovascular medicine through physician education and representation, and advancement of quality standards to enhance patient care. SCAI's patient and physician education program, Seconds Count, offers comprehensive information about cardiovascular disease. For more information about SCAI and Seconds Count, visit www.scai.org or www.SecondsCount.org.