Sean Sullivan

Chief Human Resources Officer | Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM)

Sean Sullivan

Chief Human Resources Officer | Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM)

Biography

Sean serves as the Chief Human Resources Officer and is responsible for providing human resources leadership, vision and service delivery for SHRM, the world’s largest HR professional society.

Sean has over 25 years of experience in human resources strategy and operations. He has built his career across multiple industries, including healthcare, defense, technology, IT, and manufacturing, applying his expertise to help grow and support diverse business models.

Prior to SHRM, Sean was Vice President, Human Resources for Tufts Medical Center, an internationally respected academic medical center in downtown Boston. He was responsible for all aspects of human capital practices and labor relations in support of the healthcare, research, and teaching mission of the oldest permanent medical facility in the country. Under Sean’s leadership, Tufts Medical Center launched innovative initiatives in workforce development and diversity and inclusion while strengthening strategic partnerships with community-based organizations and enhancing equity in patient access to healthcare.

Sean has held senior leadership positions for technology firms in the defense and intelligence industries, including senior vice president for human resources with Leidos, a global IT and technology firm. Sean led due diligence and integration efforts for international mergers and acquisitions. He helped establish the Leidos Relief Foundation and served as its first president. He played a key role in the re-design of the human resources function for SAIC when it was spun off from Leidos in 2013. Earlier in his career, Sean took on roles of increasing responsibility at Northrop Grumman and TRW, including the support of global business units in systems integration and manufacturing.

With a passion for workforce development, Sean has been a guest speaker at the Close It Summit, the Colloquium on Global Diversity, the Work Rebooted Conference and other forums. Sean has been a member of Innovate+Educate’s Innovative Business Hiring Council and the Healthcare HR Leadership Forum. He holds an MPA from the Maxwell School at Syracuse University, from which he also earned his undergraduate degree in political science.