Maureen White takes her Irish heritage very seriously– she’s helping to build a new Irish-American Cultural Center in New York City. White, who is Chairman of the Board of Overseers of The International Rescue Committee (IRC),  has been active with a number of organizations which focused on international humanitarian issues. But her Irish roots are very close to her heart, and so is her husband, financier Steven Rattner, who is supportive of her efforts.  The couple recently opened their home on Fifth Avenue, New York City, for a fundraising event for the Irish-American Center with actor Gabriel Byrne, who is also on board on the project, serving as the special guest.

White was also a guest speaker at the Irish-American Forum in New York last November – she spoke on philanthropy. A third-generation Irish-American with roots in Cork and Kilkenny, she served as National Finance Chair of the Hillary Clinton for President campaign, and was the National Finance Chair of the Democratic National Committee for five years. She also had a career in international economic research, working with the Royal Institute of International Affairs in London and the Nomura Research Institute in Tokyo, and First Boston Corporation and Globe Finlay International.

White, who received her BA from Mount Holyoke College and her MSc from the London School of Economics, is currently on the Board of the International Women’s Health Coalition and the Chatham House Foundation.  She and husband Steven, have four children.