TIAA, (No. 27 on the Fair360, formerly DiversityInc Top 50 Companies list) a leading financial services provider, announced Feb. 21 the promotion of Sean N. Woodroffe to Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer, effective March 1, 2018. He will report directly to TIAA President and CEO Roger W. Ferguson, Jr., and will serve as a member of the company’s executive committee.
In this role, Woodroffe will oversee all aspects of human resources strategy and execution for TIAA’s global workforce, including compensation and benefits; talent acquisition, assessment, and development; organizational design and effectiveness; and diversity and inclusion.
“As we continue to invest in our people, Sean brings a rich set of skills and perspectives to build on our momentum in making TIAA an employer of choice,” said Ferguson.
Woodroffe brings more than 30 years of HR experience in global financial services to this position. He currently serves as a senior HR leader within TIAA’s Client Services & Technology organization, where he oversees all aspects of workforce planning.
“I’m honored to take the helm of our company’s HR initiatives as we continue to build a talented workforce and nurture a culture focused on serving customers’ financial needs,” said Woodroffe.
Woodroffe will succeed Skip Spriggs, who will be joining The Executive Leadership Council (ELC) as the organization’s new President and Chief Executive Officer.
“I want to thank Skip for his many contributions to TIAA over the past five years,” said Ferguson, who is also a member of The ELC. “He helped to make TIAA an employer of choice and empowered our 16,000 employees to make a difference for the individuals and institutions we serve around the world.”
Prior to joining TIAA in 2017, Woodroffe was Senior Vice President and Chief People Officer at National Life Group, a diversified group of financial services companies. In this capacity, he oversaw all aspects of HR, which spanned recruiting, training, talent and performance management, and compensation and benefits programs. He has also held senior HR roles at Sun Life Financial, Financial Guaranty Insurance Company (FGIC), and the United Bank for Africa.
He started his career at Merrill Lynch & Co. and spent over 18 years there, serving as First Vice President and Head of International Human Resources based in London. He also led HR for Merrill Lynch’s Japan Wealth Management business unit based in Tokyo. While at National Life, as well as at FGIC, Woodroffe
served as the liaison to both firms’ compensation committees.
Woodroffe holds a bachelor’s degree in International Relations from Shaw University in North Carolina and will work out of TIAA’s New York office.
