09/15/2026
Over several decades, Cathy Garzio has built an illustrious career in academic medical center leadership.
Now executive vice provost and chief operating officer at Weill Cornell Medicine, Garzio inspires future generations of women in healthcare administration by sharing the challenges she has faced along the way.
Garzio learned resilience from her mother, an Italian immigrant and a school cafeteria worker, and her father, a butcher.
"Education was really important in my family,” says Garzio, a California native. “My parents didn’t have a chance for a formal education so they were passionate about it for me and my brother.”
Garzio excelled academically and made her way to Stanford University. At one point, Garzio, who always had an interest in science and medicine, considered medical school, but "my family had already sacrificed so much to send me to Stanford. I felt the need to get into the work force quickly."
After graduating, Garzio moved to the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, where she was among the few women in the program.
In her first job as an analyst for a community hospital, she had to navigate a corporate setting for the first time. From learning what to wear to how to speak confidently in front of people, Garzio embraced guidance from her peers and continued to progress.
Her eagerness to grow led to healthcare leadership positions, including several roles in clinical and business operations at the University of California, San Francisco.
By the time Garzio returned to Stanford to become vice chair of finance and administration in the department of medicine, she had raised three sons and become an esteemed leader with a remarkable career.
When her longtime chair Dr. Robert A. Harrington announced he was coming to Weill Cornell Medicine, Garzio contemplated retirement. Instead, she reunited with Dean Harrington when she accepted the role of EVP/COO. Her enthusiasm for new challenges remains strong.
"It’s a joy to get to know the people and priorities here, and I feel tremendous pride when I walk through the front door," she says. "I look forward to achieving our goals on the horizon."
