Mary Davis

Mary Davis is the Chief Executive Officer of Special Olympics International. She has been a longtime leader within the Special Olympics movement overseeing a global team of over 250 professionals throughout the world who address inactivity, injustice, intolerance and social isolation for people with intellectual disabilities. The Special Olympics movement supports over 5 million athletes and unified partners that compete in 108,000 competitions annually.

Davis' involvement with the Special Olympics spans four decades. She first started with the organization after college as a local program volunteer and coach. Since then, she has: served as President & Managing Director of Europe and Eurasia for eight years; been an integral member of the team that created Special Olympics’ first-ever Regional Games, the 1985 Special Olympics European Games; built a powerful national program as CEO of Special Olympics Ireland, her home country; and helped globalize the movement as CEO of the first Special Olympics World Summer Games held outside the U.S.

In honor of her accomplishments, Forbes magazine named Davis to its 50 Over 50 list. She was awarded a Person of the Year Award for her work on the 2003 World Summer Games and for her years of service with Special Olympics Ireland.