Linda E. McMahon recently stepped down as the Chief Executive Officer of the WWE, a publicly traded company in Stamford, that is listed on the New York Stock Exchange.

McMahon helped grow a company from a modest 13-person operation to a publicly traded, global enterprise with over 500 employees and offices in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Orlando, London, Ontario, Shanghai, and Tokyo. The company has been named one of the Forbes 200 Best Small Companies.

McMahon has committed not to accept PAC money or special interest money. She will limit contributions to her campaign to $100 but plans to use her own resources to help finance the race and ensure she is competitive with Senator Dodd.

McMahon has been widely recognized as one of the country's top female executives, both for her business acumen and her support of a variety of community-based initiatives. In 2007, she was named one of Multichannel News' “Wonder Women,” recognizing her accomplishments as a leader in the U.S. cable television industry.

In addition to her work in the boardroom, McMahon has been instrumental in nurturing community and charitable programs. She spearheaded the creation of Get R.E.A.L. educational and literacy programs, including the company's nationwide Reading Challenge in partnership with the Young Adult Library Services Association, the youth division of the American Library Association.

McMahon was appointed in 2005 to The Make-A-Wish Foundation of America National Advisory Council. The Make-A-Wish Foundation, in 2004, awarded the company its highest honor, the Chris Grecius Award, for its extensive support. She is a major supporter of such organizations as the Starlight Children's Foundation and the USO.

Under her leadership, the WWE was the recipient of the USO of Metropolitan Washington's first ever “Legacy of Hope” award for its extensive support of our troops and the USO's Operation Care Package program. In 2007, the company received the Secretary of Defense Exceptional Public Service Award for its support of deployed service members in Iraq and Afghanistan. In 2008, the company received the GI Film Festival's Corporate Patriot Award.

She has served as the Honorary Corporate Chair of the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation, running one of the organization's most successful fundraising efforts. She also was presented the Arthur M. Sackler Award from the Connecticut Grand Opera and Orchestra for WWE's support of its arts education program.

McMahon was elected in October 2004 to serve on the Board of Trustees of Sacred Heart University of Fairfield, Conn. She serves on the board's Executive Committee and chairs its Institutional Advancement Committee.

She also is a member of the Board of Directors of the Close Up Foundation, a nonprofit that exists to educate and inspire young people to participate in our democracy.

In 2009, McMahon was appointed by Governor Jodi Rell to serve on the Connecticut Board of Education.

Born October 4, 1948, and raised in New Bern, N.C., Linda was a high school honor society student who was also fond of basketball and tennis. She graduated from East Carolina University in Greenville, N.C., with a Bachelor of Science in French and certified to teach. She and Vince were married in 1966.

The McMahons have resided in Greenwich, for more than 30 years. They have two adult children, Shane and Stephanie, and four grandchildren.