These latest additions strengthen Summer's market position, whose platform boosts retention for employers who offer student loan & education assistance benefits
NEW YORK, May 9, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Today, Summer –– the only end-to-end workplace student loan solution that saves employees an average of $40k and is proven to reduce turnover by 20% –– is announcing an addition to its leadership team, and formally introducing its Advisory Board of HR leaders. The news follows other major milestones for the startup, including $9M in funding and an industry-leading integration with ADP.
Welcoming Don Weinstein, Former Global Chief Product & Technology Officer of ADP, as Summer's Chief Innovation Officer
The team is announcing that technology leader Don Weinstein is joining Summer as its Chief Innovation Officer. Formerly the Global Chief Product & Technology Officer at ADP, Don brings a wealth of experience and a proven track record of technological innovation in the workplace. With his deep industry knowledge, Don is ideally positioned to guide Summer in delivering innovative solutions that meet the diverse needs of employers and their workforces.
During his tenure at ADP, Weinstein was responsible for all aspects of ADP's global technology strategy and delivery. Throughout his career, he successfully introduced numerous new products and innovations that delivered rapid success in terms of market adoption and revenue acceleration, including ADP Mobile, ADP Analytics and the ADP Marketplace. Before his most recent role, he served as ADP's Chief Strategy Officer where he incubated several successful new business ventures, including ADP's Data Solutions business.
"It's already been such a pleasure interacting with Don as an advisor, and we couldn't be more excited to add him to the team in a more formal capacity," said Summer's founder & CEO, Will Sealy. "We know that Don will be an invaluable member of the Summer leadership team and we look forward to the myriad ways in which his experience will contribute to the success of Summer and the development of the most innovative products in the market."
"I've been impressed with the positive benefits Summer is delivering to student loan borrowers, and with how the team is enabling HR leaders to provide this exciting new category of benefits to their employees," said Weinstein. "There's still so much untapped potential for employers to address student debt and college costs concerns among their workforce, and I'm happy to be meaningfully contributing to that effort as part of Summer."
Introducing Summer's Advisory Board
Summer currently works with more than 800 employers including Fortune 500s, hospital systems, and state governments and municipalities, and has come to understand how important it is to hear directly from HR practitioners as we build solutions to meet the needs of rapidly evolving workforces.
"Leaders in Human Resources have unique insight into their employee base and their struggles and concerns, and they understand the needs of the business –– their perspectives are invaluable," said Sealy. "HR pros can also be powerful change agents within their own organizations and for the business community at-large, thanks to those insights. It just makes sense for us to bring these voices together to harness their collective knowledge, so we can together help catalyze the industry into adopting innovative solutions and meeting the pressing needs of employees."
The HR leaders on the Summer Advisory Board will help provide the Summer team with rich insights into a truly diverse range of employees, all of whom are grappling with the stress of college costs and student debt in one form or another. They'll serve as a sounding board for Summer's product development, a resource for its customers looking to advocate for their employees, and a voice in the industry as the conversations around student debt, college cost and tuition-related benefits heat up.
New members of the Summer Advisory Board being named today:
- Board Chairman: Mike Clementi, CHRO of PetVet Care Centers, Former EVP & CHRO of Unilever: Mike spent 25+ years at Unilever, working both locally and internationally and most recently held the title of "EVP/CHRO Global Markets & Organization Transformation." In 2023, he joined PetVet Care Centers as CHRO, leading the HR function for the fast-growing, purpose-driven organization. Mike is also a Board Member for the Jackie Robinson Foundation, which delivers scholarship grants and hands-on mentoring to the next generation of talent in the US.
- Joe Bosch, Former CHRO of DIRECTV, Centex, Tenet Healthcare, and Pizza Hut (Yum Brands): Joe, currently serving as an Executive Advisory Board Member to SemperVirens Venture Capital and as a Human Capital Consultant with Optimum Associates, has been working in HR since 1983, including stints as the Chief People Officer of Pizza Hut, the CHRO for Tenet Healthcare, Centex Homes, and DIRECTV, as well as Interim CHRO of Mattel. Joe is also a member of the HR Hall of Fame and a Fellow in the National Academy of HR.
- Dr. Grace Ingram, Wellbeing Program Manager for City of Alexandria, Virginia: Dr. Grace Ingram is the Wellbeing Program and Employee Engagement Manager for the City of Alexandria in Northern Virginia. Prior to her role with the City, Dr. Grace was a wellness consultant with Harden & Associates, where she provided wellness program consulting and expertise to over 30 different companies throughout the Southeast region of the U.S.
- Cindy Olson, Founder & CEO of the Executive Strategic Alliance: Cindy leads Executive Strategic Alliance, LLC, a community of Executives that offers world-class thought leadership, executive briefings on next-generation worktech startups, and a board positioning program. Cindy's passion for building and protecting cultures that foster innovation, values, and engagement stems from her life-changing career as a Chief Global Human Resources and Community Relations Officer.
- Dermot O'Brien, Former Chief Transformation Officer & CHRO of ADP, Former CHRO of TIAA: Dermot was most recently the Chief Transformation Officer at ADP, having served as CHRO at ADP from 20212 until 2018. With close to 20 years reporting to CEOs and over 30 years leading global HR teams, Dermot has deep operating business experience and a proven ability to lead global organizations through transformational change by fostering a culture of collaboration, inclusion, and teamwork.
- Maggie Ruvoldt, CHRO of LEARN Behavioral: Maggie is currently the CHRO at LEARN Behavioral, a national organization dedicated to nurturing the potential of children and young adults with autism and special needs; she's also an HR Venture Advisor to SemperVirens Venture Capital, where she leverages her more than 30 years of experience in HR roles.
- Mike Theilmann, EVP & Chief Human Resources Officer at Albertsons Companies: Mike joined Albertsons in 2019 and serves as the Company's Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer. Prior to joining the Albersons, Mike was with Heidrick & Struggles, most recently as Global Practice Managing Partner of the Human Resources Officers Practice. He also served as Group Executive Vice President of JCPenney, and prior to that, Mike had been with Yum Brands and its predecessor PepsiCo since 1993, serving in senior human resources positions around the world.
- Katie Watson, Former CHRO of Solidigm and Gilead: Katie Watson is a global Human Resources leader with 25 years of experience across life sciences, technology, and investment banking. She was most recently the CHRO of Solidigm Technologies, a $9B spin-off from Intel. She previously spent 17 years at Gilead Sciences, and she was named one of SF Business Times' "Most Influential Women in Business 2017."
ABOUT SUMMER
Summer is the only end-to-end student loan and education assistance solution that saves employees an average of $40k and is proven to reduce turnover by 20%. Summer partners with employers to deliver a tailored benefit that empowers employees to save for education, better manage their student loans, find forgiveness options, and lower monthly payments––simplifying student loans from start to finish. As a Certified B Corporation, Summer has partnered with over 800 employers across the U.S. to generate over $1.65 billion in savings to date.
Media Contact
Laurel Toney, Summer, 1 7204358862, [email protected], meetsummer.com
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