Women We Admire is pleased to announce The Top 25 Women Chief Talent Officers of 2024. Chief Talent Officers are integral to modern companies and organizations. This executive-level role is in charge of managing talent, recruitment, and retention for all employees. Through strategic development programs, this professional implements training programs and seeks out exceptional employees to fulfill future leadership roles within an organization.
A Chief Talent Officer is crucial for continued success, ensuring every department and team has the right people to thrive. We honor the accomplishments of these women leaders, who have had a hand in shaping some of the most well-known companies and institutions in the world.
This year’s honorees feature the Chief Talent Officer of Nike, Treasure Heinle, who leads the HR efforts for this Fortune 500 company and has a hand in shaping teams across the globe.
We also acknowledge the career of Susan Graham-Bryce, the Chief Talent Officer for GE Healthcare. Having spent most of her career serving General Electric in some capacity, Graham-Bryce now leads the recruitment strategy for GE Healthcare, the multinational medical technology arm of GE.
Finally, we honor a leader in the public sector, Melanie Keller, the Chief Talent Officer for the United States Food and Drug Administration, the federal agency responsible for protecting public health. This is a serious job that requires top-notch talent, and Keller is leading the way.
Please join us in celebrating the accomplishments of The Top 25 Women Chief Talent Officers of 2024.
1. Chris Klunk
Chief Talent Officer - Accenture Technology, Accenture
Chris Klunk is the Chief Talent Officer of Accenture Technology at Accenture. Klunk is passionate about creating diverse teams and helping people build their best lives professionally and personally. She believes compassion is the key to unlocking talent and creating an environment, where all can thrive. This has been her guiding principle throughout her career and in her current role, where she has the privilege of leading HR for over 365K technology people in 120 countries, helping them be their best personally and professionally in serving their clients across over 40 industries.
Previously, she served as chief human resources officer for Accenture in North America, where she led their 60,000 people through an intense period of change – from launching a new business and organizational model to navigating the business through the impacts of the COVID pandemic – all while ensuring Accenture North America is a place, where all their people feel they belong.
Klunk has over 25 years of experience leading and transforming HR teams at Accenture. In her former role as global HR lead for Accenture Digital, she played a pivotal role in leading the culture transformation while significantly scaling talent to meet the growing needs of the business. She led the integration of many critical acquisitions into Accenture with a laser focus on building cohesive teams and retaining the “special sauce” that brought them together. Klunk earned an MBA in Finance from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and an undergraduate degree in marketing from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
2. Treasure Heinle
Chief Talent Officer, Nike
Treasure Heinle is the Chief Talent Officer of Nike. Heinle has 28 years of experience. She started at Nike in 2012 as a vice president but has served in her current role since 2022. Previously, Heinle has led a team of HR Business Partners and Centers of Excellence who support the Nike Brand’s four geographic operating regions: North America; Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA); Greater China; and Asia Pacific and Latin America (APLA), as well as the Global Sales, Nike Direct, Global Marketing, Sports Marketing and Communication organizations. These organizations are composed of over 50% of Nike's 70,000 global teammates. She has lead teams to champion continuous business and culture transformation across Nike with a focus on high touch human and digital being the competitive advantage.
Before joining Nike, Heinle was a VP of HR at Danaher. Before that, she was a VP of HR at Tektronix. Earlier in her career, she worked with InFocus as a senior director of HR. Heinle graduated from the University of Oregon with an undergraduate degree.
3. Susan Graham-Bryce
Chief Talent Officer, GE Healthcare
Susan Graham-Bryce began her professional career 25 years ago. Today, she is the Chief Talent Officer of GE Healthcare. Graham-Bryce has spent the majority of her career working for GE. She started her previous role at GE Healthcare in 2019 as a senior executive and head of HR for global imaging. In this role, she led the HR strategy across multiple business segments: MR, PET, nuclear medicine, women's health, X-ray, interventional, surgery, imaging analytics, and software. She was responsible for partnering with the CEO and GMs to drive the human capital strategy across the business segments, including culture and business transformation, D&I, leadership development, organization design, talent engagement, and retention. She accepted her current role in 2022.
In addition to GE Healthcare, Graham-Bryce has held senior roles for GE Africa and GE Energy Connections. She graduated from Ecole des Ponts ParisTech with an MBA in International Business and from Western University with an undergraduate degree in history.
4. Kara Oliveto
EVP & Chief Talent Officer, Liberty Mutual Insurance
Kara Oliveto is the EVP and Chief Talent Officer of Liberty Mutual Insurance. She first joined the company in 2004 as an associate human resource representative. Liberty Mutual is a Massachusetts-based insurance company that provides customized commercial and personal insurance products and services for individuals and businesses.
In her current role, Oliveto, leads the global talent operations for the enterprise functions and the centralized talent consulting function, partnering on talent strategies across their $50 billion organization operating in 29 countries with 50,000 employees worldwide. Her team serves as strategic partners to the business, helping build a culture where everyone’s voice is heard, and people feel like they belong. Oliveto earned an undergraduate degree in business administration - management from the University of New Hampshire.
5. Carrie Wagner
Chief Legal Talent Officer, Cooley
Carrie Wagner is the Chief Legal Talent Officer of Cooley. Clients partner with Cooley on transformative deals, complex IP and regulatory matters, and high-stakes litigation, where innovation meets the law. In her role, Wagner is responsible for directing and managing the firm’s talent management function, including attorney recruitment, professional development, performance management, and compensation, associate relations and diversity, equity, and inclusion. She has also served Cooley as an attorney, a recruiting manager, the associate director of lateral recruitment and strategic growth, the director of administration, the director of attorney recruiting, and the director of legal talent.
Wagner graduated from the University of Virginia Curry School of Education with a Master of Teaching in Secondary Education and from the University of Virginia with an undergraduate degree in mathematics.
6. Cassandra Yates
Chief Talent Officer, US Marketing Services Headquarters, Publicis Groupe
Cassandra Yates began her professional career 24 years ago. Today, she is the Chief Talent Officer for the US Marketing Services Headquarters of Publicis Groupe. Publicis Groupe is present across the entire value chain, from consulting to execution, combining marketing transformation and the digital transformation of companies.
With over 17 years of experience, Yates is a human resources executive specializing in strategic and support efforts for media agency brands with approximately 1,000 employees, as part of a larger global organization of over 80,000. Dedicated to talent management and development, she drives organizational initiatives and change transformation, strengthens company culture, and creates alignment across teams while meeting business objectives and growth. Known for her proven adaptability to different cultures, she is motivated by complexity and possesses the ability to implement creative talent solutions with strong interpersonal and leadership skills.
Yates has been with the Publicis Groupe for most of her career. Her first role was as an HR partner in 2008 with Performics, inside VivaKi, a Publicis Groupe Company. From there, she’s held multiple leadership roles, including senior HR partner, director of talent, and global chief talent officer. Earlier in her career, she worked as an associate HR partner for Performics, inside VivaKi, a Publicis Groupe Company. Yates graduated from DePaul University with an MEd and from Purdue University with an undergraduate degree in financial planning and counseling.
7. Kem Danner
Chief Talent Officer, State Street
Kem Danner is Executive Vice President And Chief Talent Officer at State Street. Additionally, she is the global head of Human Resources for State Street Global Advisors, the asset management division of State Street Corporation. At State Street, they partner with institutional investors all over the world to provide comprehensive financial services, including investment management, investment research and trading, and investment servicing.
Danner joined State Street in late 2015 after 18 years at Bank of America. For most of her career, Danner has served as a strategic advisor to senior business leaders in various senior HR, talent development, talent acquisition, and diversity and inclusion roles. Danner has also served in roles leading talent-related initiatives on several company mergers and acquisitions at both Bank of America and State Street, including the Bank of America Merrill Lynch merger through the 2008 financial crisis, as well as the acquisition of GE Asset Management by State Street Global Advisors in 2016.
Danner is actively involved in various charitable organizations relating to childhood education and development, as well as extensive mentoring and sponsorship efforts. She is also engaged in activities with various employee resource groups. Danner is an executive advisor for the Black Professionals Group and a member of the State Street Global Inclusion and Diversity Council. She is also a part of several external networks focusing on professional and personal development. Danner attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Appalachian State University for undergraduate and graduate studies and presently resides in New York, NY.
8. Janice Aurand
Chief Talent Officer, Vertiv
Janice Aurand is the Chief Talent Officer of Vertiv. Vertiv brings together hardware, software, analytics, and ongoing services to enable its customers' vital applications to run continuously, perform optimally, and grow with their business needs. Vertiv solves the most important challenges facing today's data centers, communication networks, and commercial and industrial facilities with a portfolio of power, cooling, and IT infrastructure solutions and services that extend from the cloud to the edge of the network.
Aurand has 29 years of experience. She is a talent leader experienced at the corporate, business, and regional levels, adept at leading talent development, performance management, culture change, localization of skills, and upgrading talent from entry level through executive leadership. Her expertise spans various organizational levels, ensuring comprehensive talent strategies that drive growth and success. Throughout her career, Aurand has led and coached others in key HR skills, including leadership assessments, executive coaching, large-scale transformations, performance management, managing in a matrix environment, and workforce planning/analytics. She enjoys leveraging technology to maximize efficiencies and training HR on how to utilize data and create the appropriate narrative, ensuring informed decision-making and strategic HR practices.
Before joining Vertiv, Aurand was in HR leadership roles at Ferrero and GE. She began her career as a music teacher. Aurand graduated from Georgetown College with an MA in Education, from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with an MS in Industrial Relations, and from Asbury University with an undergraduate degree in music education.
9. Kimberly Eul
Chief Talent Officer, Truist
Kimberly Eul began her professional career 26 years ago. Today, she is the Chief Talent Officer of Truist. Truist Financial Corporation is a purpose-driven financial services company committed to inspiring and building better lives and communities. As a leading US commercial bank, Truist has a leading market share in many of the high-growth markets across the country.
Eul started at Truist in 2016 as a culture enablement leader and chief inclusion officer, where she led the Culture Enablement Center of Excellence to include teammate experience and engagement, inclusion, change management, and teammate relations disciplines. From there, she went on to serve as a senior HR business partner and leadership and teammate experience leader. She was appointed to her current role in 2019. Earlier in her career, Eul was an HR segment leader with Humana and an SVP of retail banking at PNC. She graduated from Xavier University with an MBA and from Miami University with an undergraduate degree in organizational behavior studies.
10. Melanie Keller
Chief Talent Officer, FDA
Melanie Keller is the Chief Talent Officer of the FDA. She first joined the FDA in 2017 as acting associate commissioner for scientific and clinical recruitment. As a senior government executive with over 26 years of experience in talent acquisition, human resources, financial management, information technology, and operations, she brings a wealth of expertise to her current role. Her strategic thinking and innovative solutions motivate people and drive results. Currently, she leads talent acquisition for the Food and Drug Administration's 19,000-employee population, overseeing an average of over 2,000 hires per year.
Previously, she worked with The National Institutes of Health as an executive officer. Keller earned an MBA in Business Administration and Management and an undergraduate degree in management studies and human resource management from the University of Maryland Global Campus.
11. Karalyn Smith
Chief Talent Officer, Williams-Sonoma, Inc.
Karalyn Smith is the Chief Talent Officer of Williams-Sonoma, Inc., the premier specialty retailer of products for the home. Smith has spent the last 22 years driving business transformations through talent. She is a strategic and creative problem solver with expertise in organizational design, talent acquisition, employment branding and engagement, inclusion and belonging culture shaping, total rewards compensation, and health and welfare benefits.
Smith was most recently at Sephora as their chief people officer overseeing all HR functions for Sephora Americas. Before Sephora, Smith held several HR leadership roles at Best Buy and worked at Accenture, specializing in human capital strategies within their retail practice. Smith is a talented human resources leader, who loves retail and is passionate about the business. She considers herself the guardian of culture and associated experience.
Smith graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a BS honors degree in Sociology. Originally from the Midwest, she now lives in Marin with her husband Marc, and four children.
12. Lynn White
EVP & Chief Talent Officer, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings
Lynn White began her professional career 39 years ago. Today, she serves as Executive Vice President and Chief Talent Officer for Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings (NCLH). Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. is a leading global cruise company, which operates the Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises, and Regent Seven Seas Cruises brands.
In her role, White leads the human resource function for approximately 34,000 team members, including those serving on the company's 28 ships and in offices around the globe. She is an experienced executive with a broad range of financial, legal, insurance, risk management, and human resources experience. Her energetic leadership, combined with extensive international experience, is complemented by proven problem-solving skills in a positive, professional manner.
Before joining NCLH, White was the senior vice president for tax, insurance, and human resources for Prestige Cruise Holdings (acquired by NCLH in November 2014). Before that, she was a senior tax and risk management executive at Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises for 18 years. White is a CPA with degrees in accounting and tax from Penn State University and the University of Miami.
13. Raquel Santos
Chief Talent Officer, DDB Latina
Raquel Santos is the Chief Talent Officer of DDB Latina. She first joined the company in 2004 as regional business director. DDB Latina is the leading communications group in Ibero-America, a pioneer in uniting the Latin markets of DDB Worldwide Multicultural USA, Latin America, and Spain, under a unique vision inspired by culture, beyond geography.
As a culture and talent strategist, Santos brings a wealth of experience designing and executing effective engagement initiatives within multinational, multicultural, and multidisciplinary settings. Leveraging her business acumen, she excels in navigating complex, fast-changing environments, providing invaluable guidance to seasoned C-level executives and leaders of the communication industry. With a focus on positively impacting company culture, fostering engagement, and promoting professional growth, Santos has successfully influenced the development of programs and communication strategies for over two thousand employees across diverse generations. She possesses extensive expertise in internal and external communication strategies across diverse industries, including services, energy, fuels, and retail, having worked from both sides, as an agency and as a client.
Previously, Santos was a director of advertising, research, and promotions at Americatel. Earlier in her career, she worked with J. Walter Thompson as an account director for Kraft Foods and SC Johnson. Santos earned a Master of Science in Psychology and Research Studies from Universidad Central de Venezuela and an undergraduate degree in marketing and advertising from Universidad Central de Venezuela.
14. Tiffany Francis
EVP & Chief Talent Officer, Publicis Media
Tiffany Francis is the EVP and Chief Talent Officer of Publicis Media. Publicis Media harnesses the power of modern media through global agency brands Publicis Collective, Publicis Health Media, Spark Foundry, Starcom, and Zenith, as well as global accelerator PMX and integrated platform-based technologies, including CJ, CitrusAd, Epsilon, and Profitero.
Francis is a people leader and culture cultivator with a knack for relationship-building. Primarily partnering with CEOs and leaders, she drives organizational effectiveness and maximizes the potential of their teams. As a strategic business partner, coach, and consultant, she equally enjoys helping her leads develop and execute their functional strategies, as she does rolling up her sleeves and simply making things happen within her team. Curious, driven, and always looking to challenge the status quo, she has an extensive background in leading people teams across a variety of industries, including media/advertising, ad tech, software, and telecoms.
Before joining Publicis Media, Francis was a chief people officer at Magnite. Before that, she was a chief talent officer at 360i. Earlier in her career, she worked with 24/7 Real Media as an HR manager. Francis graduated from Hampton University with an undergraduate degree.
15. Shannon Novak
Chief Talent Officer, Havas
Shannon Novak began her professional career 27 years ago. Today, she is the Chief Talent Officer of Havas. Havas SA is a French multinational advertising and public relations company, headquartered in Paris, France, and operating in more than 100 countries.
Novak has had a diverse career in the field of human resources. She started her career at Columbia University as a recruitment coordinator. She then joined Young & Rubicam as a human resources coordinator. She had a brief stint at Havas Worldwide New York (formerly Euro RSCG New York) as a human resources manager.
In 2006, Novak joined AKQA as an HR manager and also became the director of HR at Havas Worldwide New York during the same year. She worked at Havas for a significant period, holding the position of Group Talent Director until 2019 when she was promoted to her current role. Her education is from the University of Oklahoma.
16. Cathy Manginelli
Chief Talent Officer, TriNet
Cathy Manginelli is the Global Chief Talent and Diversity Officer at TriNet, where she is accountable for leading the global strategies and initiatives for developing and retaining talent, as well as cultivating a ‘best in class’ culture. She is also a proud sponsor of TriNet’s Working Caregivers Colleague Resource Group and Juntos! Colleague Resource Group.
With nearly 30 years of talent management experience, Manginelli is a seasoned human resources executive and talent cultivator. Before joining TriNet, she was the chief talent officer at TD Ameritrade and worked globally in the financial services industry in various talent management leadership roles. She is a certified Executive Coach and Talent Executive, as well as a senior professional in human resources. She holds a Master’s Degree in Organizational Behavior from Fairleigh Dickinson University and a Bachelor’s degree in Organizational Communications from Cornell University.
Manginelli believes in “paying it forward” by mentoring the next generation of HR professionals and is a guest lecturer for the Johnson Graduate School of Management at Cornell University, a speaker at industry conferences, and a contributor to publications, such as the Human Resource Executive Magazine, Advisor Solutions Magazine, and books, Manage Like Your Mama, The Future Workplace Experience, and Building the Core Competencies of Change. Manginelli has four children and two dogs and finds passion in boating and supporting the community through volunteering at American Veterans of Southern Delaware, Professional Services Group of NJ, and Girls Inc.
17. Erica Desrosiers
Chief Talent Officer, Acadia Healthcare
Erica Desrosiers has extensive experience in talent management and organizational development. She’s been working as the Chief Talent Officer at Acadia Healthcare since September 2023. Headquartered in Franklin, Tennessee, Acadia Healthcare was established in January 2005 to develop and operate a network of behavioral health facilities across the country.
Desrosiers held the same position at Otsuka Pharmaceutical Companies (US). She’s also worked at Johnson & Johnson, where she served as the global head of talent access. She worked at Walmart as a senior director of global talent management, and she gained valuable experience at PepsiCo, where they held various roles, such as senior director of global talent development, director of organization and management development, and senior manager of organization and management development.
Earlier in her career, Desrosiers worked as a senior manager of organizational development at Applied Systems and as a consultant at Saville & Holdsworth, Ltd. (SHL). Desrosiers holds a PhD in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from Purdue University, and she has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and Criminal Justice from the University at Albany, SUNY.
18. Peggy Pickle
Chief Talent Officer, OU Health
Peggy Pickle is the Chief Talent Officer of OU Health, Oklahoma’s only comprehensive academic health system of hospitals, clinics, and centers of excellence. With 11,000 employees and more than 1,300 physicians and advanced practice providers, OU Health is home to Oklahoma's largest doctor network with a complete range of specialty care and serves the region with the state's only freestanding children's hospital, the only National Cancer Institute-Designated OU Health Stephenson Cancer Center, and Oklahoma's flagship hospital.
Pickle is a human resources professional with extensive experience in healthcare, boasting expertise in employment law, recruitment, employee relations, performance management, change management, policy development, and human resources processes. Her well-developed skills in leadership, decision-making, team building, training and presentations, and interpersonal communication have been honed through years of experience. Additionally, she is experienced in numerous human resources applications, including Lawson, PeopleSoft, Taleo, and SAP.
Pickle graduated from Southern Nazarene University with an undergraduate degree in organizational leadership.
19. Cici Ebersole
Chief Talent Officer, Ducks Unlimited
Cici Ebersole leads the Human Resources function at Ducks Unlimited and is a member of DU's Executive Leadership Team. Before joining DU, she held senior HR leadership roles at several top organizations including Smith & Nephew, Express Scripts (now part of Cigna), and Jackson Hewitt. Cici began her career in Human Resources as an employment law attorney and has since had an extensive and successful history of working in the non-profit, supply chain, medical device, healthcare, financial services, and retail. She is skilled in proactive employee relations and engagement, culture building, organizational planning, recruiting, and leadership development. Cici has a passion for helping leaders in their professional development journey and finding strengths in their organizations. With over 20 years of experience in employment law and human resources, Cici brings credibility to the human resources function as a true organizational partner.
She is a member of the Society of Human Resources Executive Network, the SHRM Voice of Work panel, the Chief HR Officer Council at the Conference Board, as well as an Advisory Board Member of the Women in Leadership Program at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. She holds an MBA from the University of Central Arkansas as well as a JD, and an undergraduate degree in economics from the University of the Philippines. In Cici's spare time, she enjoys traveling with her family, reading, yoga, and enjoying the outdoors. She manages a busy household, made up of two young children, two huge dogs, and a cat, with her husband of 18 years.
20. Emily Venizelos
Chief Talent Officer, 72andSunny
As the Chief Talent Officer at 72andSunny, Emily Venizelos spearheads the global talent operations and talent strategy for a renowned creative agency partnering with some of the world's most iconic brands.
Her passion lies in fostering an inspirational, inclusive, and authentic culture that fuels the agency's mission to amplify and diversify the creative landscape. Emily harnesses her extensive expertise in training and development and process innovation to empower teams to deliver exceptional outcomes for clients and employees alike. Renowned as a trusted confidant and strategic partner, she champions change and cultivates growth for executive leaders and employees across continents.
Emily thrives at the dynamic intersection of people and process, where her superpowers of creative problem-solving, out-of-the-box thinking, and connective prowess shine brightest. Her unwavering dedication to nurturing talent and driving impactful change underscores her pivotal role in shaping 72andSunny's future success on the global stage.
21. Nikole Fees
Chief Talent Officer, One City Schools
Nikole Fees is the Chief Talent Officer of One City Schools. She has over 20 years of experience in urban education with over half of her career in teaching. One City Schools operates an award-winning independent preschool, a public charter (grades 4K - 5) elementary school and a public charter (grades 6 - 7) secondary school that is leading in PK - 12 educational innovation in Wisconsin. Their mission is to seed a new model of public education that ensures children and youth are on track to succeed in a college or career preparatory program from birth through high school graduation.
In 2011, Nikole accepted her first principal assignment on the west side of Chicago, in a school where she served on the founding team. Previously, she had served as head of schools, director of academics, and principal in Rockford and Milwaukee. Her experience across different educational roles and diverse communities equipped her with a deep understanding of how to navigate challenges and foster positive change within educational institutions. Nikole's commitment to educational excellence and equity drove her to continually seek opportunities to improve learning environments and support students' academic and personal growth.
22. Laurie Mallach
Chief Talent Officer, Day Pitney
Laurie Mallach is the Chief Talent Officer of Day Pitney. Day Pitney's mission is to work collaboratively and effectively with its clients to resolve complex legal challenges. They add value by combining innovation with knowledge and experience.
Mallach has 27 years of experience. She develops career progression strategies for attorneys and employees at all levels through coaching, communication enhancement, and relationship building. Responsible for talent acquisition, integration, skills development, wellness initiatives, and diversity and inclusion, she ensures a holistic approach to talent management that fosters growth and inclusivity within the organization.
Before joining Day Pitney, Mallach was a co-chair of the NALP chief special interest group at NALP. Before that, she was a director of lateral partner recruitment at Norton Rose Fulbright. Earlier in her career, she worked with Chadbourne & Parke LLP as a director of global partner recruitment. Mallach graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with an undergraduate degree in psychology.
23. Soraya Verjee
Chief Talent Officer, Collegiate Academies
Soraya Verjee serves as the Chief Talent Officer for Collegiate Academies, a network of charter schools based in Louisiana. Collegiate Academies builds world-class public schools that prepare all students for college success and lives of unlimited opportunity. Soraya is responsible for finding, developing, and keeping great people to build stronger teams that drive outcomes for all students. In addition to workforce planning, talent acquisition, compensation, and retention, she’s currently taking on efforts to strengthen organizational culture through strengthening leadership pipelines and through performance management of non-instructional positions.
Prior to her current role, Soraya served in the organization as the Director of Human Capital, as an Algebra I Teacher through Teach For America, a Volleyball Coach, and as a team member at The Bridgespan Group. Soraya graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with an undergraduate degree in Bioengineering.
24. Kara Greer
SVP & Chief Talent Officer, Tufts Medicine
Kara Greer has extensive work experience in various leadership roles. Greer is currently the Senior Vice President and Chief Talent Officer at Tufts Medicine, a position she has held since March 2021. Tufts Medicine is a leading integrated health system bringing together the best of academic and community healthcare to deliver exceptional, connected, and accessible care experiences to consumers across Massachusetts.
Before this role, Greer served as the vice president and chief human resources officer at Tufts Medical Center. She also worked at Liberty Mutual Insurance as the vice president and manager of talent and enterprise services and commercial insurance, and she held a VP role at the Ochsner Clinic Foundation. She worked in the hospitality industry as the director of sales marketing at Ocean Properties, Ltd. & Affiliates and as the assistant director of human resources at The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company.
Greer obtained a Certified Professional Coach (CPC) degree from iPEC Coaching in 2019 and completed a certificate program in The HR-Executive Suite from Harvard Business School in 2017. In 2013, Greer undertook a certificate program in Strategic Business Leadership: Engagement, Performance & Execution from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business Executive Education. Additionally, she acquired a Certificate Program in Service and Leadership Excellence from Babson F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business in 2009. She has a Master's degree in Organizational Development and Budgeting from the University of Southern Maine. Before that, she completed her Bachelor's degree in Sociology at Tulane University.
25. Kerry Griffin
Chief Talent Officer, MERGE
Kerry Griffin is the Chief Talent Officer of MERGE. She first joined the company in 2017. MERGE promotes health, wealth, and happiness in the world by merging storytelling with technology and offers marketing and technology clients full-service capabilities, including strategy, creative communications, experience engineering, media, digital platform development, and more.
Griffin is a passionate human resources leader with a breadth of experience within local and global communities. With roots in client services and various roles effectively collaborating with all departments within an organization, she offers perspective across teams that align with business needs. Griffin thrives in partnering with leadership to effectively map out the agency's success, focusing on talent recruitment and retention, performance management, feedback discussions, career growth and succession plans, and learning and development opportunities. Critically, she ensures that successes are linked to business demands, objectives, trends, talent, and plans, fostering agility to keep teams dynamic and engaged. she plays a pivotal role in pushing business agendas forward through coaching, assessing, and transforming people and culture.
Previously, Griffin was a talent ignitor at Interesting People Tour. Before that, she was an SVP director of talent management in North America at Geometry Global. Earlier in her career, she worked with FCB Global as an AAE. Griffin earned an undergraduate degree in advertising from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Griffin also coaches parents in the agency industry to find success at home and work. She and Coach Beryl Greenberg have helped hundreds of mothers find their answers through Mothers@Agencies, and recently launched Parents@Agencies.