--- title: American Heart Association description: Discover how the American Heart Association transformed its hiring practices, boosted performance, and raised $50 million by adopting Topgrading methods. image: https://blog.topgrading.com/hubfs/cs2-removebg-preview.png --- [Go Back Up](https://blog.topgrading.com/case-studies/american-heart-association#top) [Skip to Content](https://blog.topgrading.com/case-studies/american-heart-association#body) [![](https://blog.topgrading.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Logos/Logo%20-%20homepage.webp?width=339&height=68&name=Logo%20-%20homepage.webp)](https://topgrading.com/) Toggle Menu - [Human Capital Governance](https://topgrading.com/human-capital-governance) - [Solutions](https://topgrading.com/solutions) Toggle children for Solutions Main Menu (Press to Return) \> Solutions - [Hiring](https://topgrading.com/hiring) - [Leadership](https://topgrading.com/leadership) - [Organization Design](https://topgrading.com/organization) - [Private Equity](https://topgrading.com/private-equity) - [Workshop](https://topgrading.com/topgradingworkshop) - [Our Firm](https://topgrading.com/our-firm) - Insights Toggle children for Insights Main Menu (Press to Return) \> Insights - [Blog](https://blog.topgrading.com/blog) - [Case Studies](https://blog.topgrading.com/case-studies) - [Podcast](https://blog.topgrading.com/podcast) - [Books](https://topgrading.com/books) - [eGuide](https://topgrading.com/eguide) - [Schedule a Call](https://topgrading.com/meetings/andywilliams-topgrading/30-minute-meeting) - [Schedule a Call](https://meetings.hubspot.com/chris-mursau/privateequity) [Schedule a Call](https://meetings.hubspot.com/chris-mursau/privateequity) # American Heart Association [Healthcare](https://blog.topgrading.com/case-studies/tag/healthcare) [251 – 500 employees](https://blog.topgrading.com/case-studies/tag/251-500-employees) Sep 10, 2024, 2:09:29 AM [Topgrading](https://blog.topgrading.com/case-studies/author/topgrading) % ![](https://blog.topgrading.com/hs-fs/hubfs/cs2-removebg-preview.png?width=1000&name=cs2-removebg-preview.png) Established in 1924, the American Heart Association (AHA) is a non-profit organization that funds cardiovascular medical research, educates consumers on healthy living, and fosters cardiac care in an effort to reduce disability and deaths caused by cardiac disease and stroke. The organization's mission is "To be a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives." Like most CEOs, Cass Wheeler (now retired) associated the results that AHA could achieve with the organization's talent, and concluded that he would **need to raise performance bars in order to successfully accomplish goals**, including spreading awareness that the #1 cause of death for women was not breast cancer, but heart disease. *"Topgrading saves lives."*  Cass Wheeler, CEO (retired) Number of Employees : 450 Industry : Non-Profit Highlights : - Improved from **25% to 95% A Players hired and promoted** to upper management positions - **$50 million more raised** in the next year for AHA programs ### How AHA Improved Talent Wheeler contracted with Topgrading to: - [Assess and coach corporate leaders](https://topgrading.com/candidate-assessment/) and 15 regional executives - Train all of AHA's managers to use [Topgrading hiring methods](https://topgrading.com/what-we-do/) - Interview candidates for senior positions As a result, AHA **tripled their hiring success throughout the organization**. The percent A Players hired and promoted to upper management positions improved from 25% to 95%, and the organization was **able to raise $50 million more** in the next year for their programs. After retiring, Wheeler wrote *Have a Heart* which showed how, with Topgrading, AHA was able to hire and retain [A Players](https://topgrading.com/resources/blog/who-are-your-a-players/), paying managers at rates comparable to for-profit companies. 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