Dr McNally’s 40-year career spanned the medical biotech industry overseeing clinical research, quality and regulatory systems, and corporate management. As part of the management team, he brought CryoLife, Inc. from being one of the founders in 1984 to a listing on the NYSE in 1993. His numerous patents cover the preservation of human tissues for transplant which form the basis for the CryoLife portfolio of technologies for human heart valve, vein, artery, ligament, tendons, and menisci of the knee.

In December 2006 he joined the GeoVax Board of Directors and in 2008 assumed the role of President and CEO until he retired at the end of August 2018. During his tenure the company was transformed from being a HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) vaccine development company to a company specializing in the development of vaccines for unmet diseases such as Ebola, Marburg, Zika and Malaria. Today those development efforts are being used for a vaccine to protect against Covid-19. Since his retirement, Dr. McNally remains on the GeoVax Board of Directors and serves as Lead Director as well as Chairman of the Nominating and Governance Committee.

After graduating from Villanova University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering he served two years at the United States Army Medical Research Laboratory, Ft Knox, Kentucky. Working with non-human primates he and his colleagues contributed to the medical literature for improved triage techniques for battle wound casualty cases. Following his military service, he attended the University of Pennsylvania and graduated with a Master of Science in Engineering (Biomedical) and Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering.

In 1976 his career focused on cardiac pacing, moving from clinical research to Manager of European Operations in 1980. Living four years in the United Kingdom he oversaw technical and business relationships for European cardiology physicians and local distributors for Pacesetter, Inc. and Intermedics, Inc. During that time in 1984 he was asked to join as one of the founders of CryoLife, Inc. as Senior Vice President for Clinical Research.

After retiring from CryoLife, his industry consulting in 2000, led to being a co-founder and CEO of Cell Dynamics, LLC, a human cell line company specializing in the cGMP processing of human neonatal kidneys to extract cells used by Abbott Laboratories to manufacture AbbokinaseÒ a lifesaving blood clot busting drug.

Dr. McNally is a Fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineers and for 20 years served on the advisory boards of the Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences and the Dupree College of Management at the Georgia Institute of Technology and was an occasional lecturer. He is a former Chairman and 20-year member of the board for Georgia BIO, the bio industry trade association for the State of Georgia. Currently he serves on the Villanova University Engineering School Entrepreneurship Advisory Board and mentors student project teams. In 2020 he received the highest Villanova Engineering alumni award for career achievement. In 2014 he gave the December Commencement address for the College of Mathematics and Science and Business School for Kennesaw State University. Over his career he has given countless corporate presentations and numerous print and TV interviews.