Susan is one of the nation’s top political strategists and is President of Message Global, the public affairs firm she founded to advance civic campaigns, corporate advocacy, and philanthropy.
Message Global partners with some of the world’s most influential leaders, government officials, artists, and digital innovators on awareness and public action initiatives. Key focus areas include democracy reform, global development, media, social justice, technology, and clean energy.
Susan previously served as the Chief of Staff for U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) from 1999 until 2007, and during this time she developed and managed his leadership and policy operations. The Almanac of the Unelected said Susan “can be found at the center of nearly every major debate and agreement in the Senate.” The groundbreaking communications and digital operations programs Susan implemented continue to this day.
In 2007, Susan became the founding President & CEO of ONE, a high-energy grassroots campaign launched by U2’s Bono to reduce global poverty. Susan’s leadership elevated ONE into an unprecedented global movement bringing millions of people together as agents of change. In 2008, McCue launched Message Global with ONE as her first of many clients.
With her unique position at the intersection of public policy, politics, and philanthropy at the highest levels, Susan has received numerous recognitions, including being named as one of the 10 most influential women in Washington, D.C. by ELLE magazine.
Susan was nominated by both President Barack Obama and President George W. Bush -- and was unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate in 2010 -- to the Broadcasting Board of Governors, which oversees U.S. international media, including Voice of America and Radio Free Europe, bringing news to people around the world in support of freedom and democracy, in more than 60 languages. In 2014, the Senate unanimously confirmed her Presidential nomination to the Millennium Challenge Corporation, a federal agency chaired by the U.S. Secretary of State to lead the fight against global poverty through smart growth. Susan is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and is Vice Chair of Humanity United Charitable Fund, a philanthropic organization formed by eBay founders Pam and Pierre Omidyar to build peace and advance human freedom globally.
Susan also co-founded and co-chairs Senate Majority PAC, a SuperPAC dedicated to electing U.S. Senate Democrats, and she co-chairs CARE Action Now, a 501c-4 organization dedicated to fighting poverty and empowering women around the globe.
Before working on Capitol Hill, Susan served in senior communications and speechwriting positions for elected officials including New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, then U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. Early in her career, she worked as a news assistant at the Associated Press and The New York Times.