Biography

Since 2003, Karen Hackett served as the CEO of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, a professional association with more than 39,000 members before retiring in April 2017. She is the past chairperson of the American Society for Association Executives. She previously served as executive vice president and COO for the American College of Healthcare Executives, vice president for the Metropolitan Chicago Healthcare Council, senior manager for Ernst and Young, and director of technical services for the Healthcare Financial Management Association.

In 2009, she received the Samuel B. Shapiro Award, presented by the Association Forum of Chicagoland to a chief executive officer for outstanding service and accomplishment in association management. In 2011, she was selected for induction into the University of Central Florida’s College of Business Hall of Fame; that same year, Lewis University honored Hackett with the Alumni Achievement Award in the field of Business.

Holds an MBA from Lewis University and a BS from UCF.