--- description: Find out why Cindy McCain is one of the 100 most influential people of 2023. title: Cindy McCain: The 100 Most Influential People of 2023 image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltadbaf222781288c4/698a3bcccabb1dba75e5148b/Cindy-McCain-time100-2023.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 --- Apr 13, 2023 # Cindy McCain by Catherine Bertini  Cindy McCain, incoming executive director of the UN World Food Programme, during a visit to the insect pest control laboratory at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) nuclear applications laboratory complex in Seibersdorf, Austria on Thursday, Feb. 16, 2023\. The nuclear watchdog is exposing sorghum and cress to orbital radiation in experiment to trigger resistance against global warming. Photographer: Akos Stiller/Bloomberg via Getty Images Cindy McCain, incoming executive director of the UN World Food Programme, during a visit to the insect pest control laboratory at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) nuclear applications laboratory complex in Seibersdorf, Austria on Thursday, Feb. 16, 2023\. The nuclear watchdog is exposing sorghum and cress to orbital radiation in experiment to trigger resistance against global warming. Photographer: Akos Stiller/Bloomberg via Getty ImagesAkos Stiller—Bloomberg/Getty Images For decades, [Cindy McCain](https://time.com/5959185/cindy-mccain-opens-up-on-her-terms/ "undefined") has been passionate about providing support to vulnerable people worldwide. McCain has led efforts against human trafficking, organized medical personnel to provide assistance to war victims, and served on multiple NGO boards—not to mention her work as the American ambassador to the U.N. Agencies in Rome. Her experience and commitment will serve her well in her new challenge leading one of the globe’s largest humanitarian organizations, the [U.N. World Food Programme](https://time.com/5898641/nobel-peace-prize-covid-19-hunger-crisis/ "undefined"). Based in Rome, the WFP reached over 150 million people in 2022 with lifesaving food and nutritional support. McCain’s extensive experience will become evident as she provides leadership, managerial direction, change management, advocacy, fundraising, diplomacy, creativity, collaboration, and compassion to her new role. Cindy McCain now holds one of the toughest and most rewarding jobs in the world. By all accounts, she is up to the task. _Bertini is managing director of the Rockefeller Foundation’s Food Initiative and a former executive director of the World Food Programme_ ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"Article","@id":"https://time.com/collections/100-most-influential-people-2023/6269873/cindy-mccain/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/collections/100-most-influential-people-2023/6269873/cindy-mccain/"},"headline":"Cindy McCain","datePublished":"2023-04-13T10:32:59.000Z","dateModified":"2026-07-21T07:22:05.557Z","description":"","url":"https://time.com/collections/100-most-influential-people-2023/6269873/cindy-mccain/","keywords":["TIME 100","franchise","sponsorshipblock","TIME100 2023"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltadbaf222781288c4/698a3bcccabb1dba75e5148b/Cindy-McCain-time100-2023.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"TIME Staff","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/time-staff/"}],"creator":"TIME Staff","articleSection":"","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltadbaf222781288c4/698a3bcccabb1dba75e5148b/Cindy-McCain-time100-2023.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/collections/100-most-influential-people-2023/6269873/cindy-mccain/","name":"Cindy McCain"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"TIME100 | The 100 Most Influential People of 2023","description":"See all the people on Time's 2023 Time 100 list","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/P6RIsapV/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2023-04-13T10:30:00.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/P6RIsapV.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/collections/100-most-influential-people-2023/6269873/cindy-mccain/","duration":"PT1M53S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/collections/100-most-influential-people-2023/6269873/cindy-mccain/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```