From Intern to COO: Mackenzie O'Connor’s Nine-Year Rise at Cameo

O'Connor’s tenure at the Chicago-based startup began at a job fair while she was a student at Columbia College Chicago. After an initial public relations internship, she successfully lobbied CEO Steven Galanis to remain with the firm, leading to the creation of its first customer service role. Since then, she has navigated nearly every department, including product management, talent operations, and corporate strategy.

In her new capacity, O'Connor will oversee sales, revenue, and HR, while collaborating with product and engineering teams to refine the company's marketplace. Galanis cited her trajectory as an embodiment of the firm's resilience, noting that she has consistently stepped into the organization's most complex challenges. Her appointment follows a 2023 stint as Chief of Staff, where she managed the company through a period of significant operational restructuring. She now aims to leverage her deep institutional knowledge to accelerate the growth of the platform, which has facilitated over 10 million personalized fan interactions since its 2017 founding.