Mercedes Sullivan

Mercedes Sullivan

Vice President, People Transformation McKinley Companies

Mercedes D. Sullivan is an executive with a passion for driving growth, transformation, innovation, and inclusion. She blends over 20 years of expertise across technology, human resources, portfolio management, and social impact to resolve critical problems facing organizations today. Mercedes currently serves as VP, Storefront Architect, for the People Team at TIAA, a leading provider of secure retirement income solutions. In this capacity, she leads the development and continuous improvement of AI-enabled employee experiences. Previously, Mercedes held the position of VP, Head of People Team PMO, where she led HR productization, agile transformation, and project delivery. Prior to TIAA, she held program delivery leadership roles at Symphonic Strategies, a social impact Consultancy, and was Head of Financial Services Custom Research at CEB (now Gartner), providing best practice research and advice to over 600 global financial institutions. Born in Mexico City and raised in Acapulco, Mexico, Mercedes was a national tennis champion and achieved a top 30 world junior tennis ranking. She later attended Boston College on a tennis scholarship. Mercedes holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in International Studies from Boston College and the University of Sydney, Australia, respectively. Through her professional and personal experience, Mercedes embodies her commitment to enabling individuals and teams to thrive, win, and feel included in the marketplace.

Monday, March 16, 2026: SSOWomen's Day & Site Tour

12:00 PM Panel | The Future of Leadership: Fostering Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Shared Services

Shared Services is a field where women make up a large portion of the workforce , yet executive roles are still disproportionately held by men. When you look deeper, the representation gap grows even wider for women from underrepresented racial, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds. In this forward-looking discussion, a diverse panel of emerging leaders will explore the intersection of gender, race, and other identities in Shared Services leadership. From identifying where biases appear in talent pipelines to creating mentorship and sponsorship models that work across differences, this session offers both a candid look at the challenges and a blueprint for change. Because in the end, overcoming these barriers benefits everyone in the Shared Services community

Check out the incredible speaker line-up to see who will be joining Mercedes.

Download The Latest Agenda