Lauren McFerran

Lauren McFerran is the Executive Director of the AFL-CIO Technology Institute, where she works to ensure that emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, are deployed in ways that empower workers and strengthen collective bargaining. With decades of experience at the highest levels of federal labor policy, McFerran specializes in navigating the intersection of law, workers’ rights, and the changing workplace. She previously served as Chairman of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).  

Prior to her leadership at the NLRB, Lauren held several key roles in the United States Senate, serving as Chief Labor Counsel for the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) and Deputy Staff Director under Chairman Tom Harkin. She began her career on the HELP Committee as Senior Labor Counsel to Chairman Ted Kennedy. A former Senior Fellow at The Century Foundation, Lauren received a B.A. from Rice University and a J.D. from Yale Law School.