Advisor/Board Director: Highly Sought after Marketer and Growth Expert: Former C-Level Executive for Citi, American Express and Ameriprise.

Kim is a dynamic leader with over 30+ years as a catalyst for growth and change, building and transforming a wide range of complex global businesses at Merrill Lynch, Citibank, American Express, and Ameriprise Financial, including businesses based in Asia and India. She is known for cutting through and simplifying the complex, seeing around corners, driving innovation, and consistently creating value.

She is well-known globally as a trusted connector and sought-after thought partner; she has a remarkable breadth of global leadership, strategic, analytical, marketing, governance, and operational experience. Among some of the organizations that have recognized Kim over the years include Forbes Most Influential CMOs in the World, Top 100 Women in Corporate America by Women 3.0 Magazine, and Top 25 Women to Watch by Minneapolis Business Journal 2.0, and the National Diversity Council Leadership Excellence Award.

Today, Kim is an Independent Director with Fortune 100 board experience serving on the Board of Trustees for TIAA, a leading non-profit provider of retirement services with $1.4T in assets under management and on the Board of Directors for TIAA Bank, a wholly owned subsidiary of TIAA. Kim was selected to serve as the Chair of the Human Resources Committee for TIAA and as the Chair of the Trust Committee and Chair of the Nominating and Governance Committee for TIAA Bank. She has a proven track record in all governance matters and has achieved the NACD Board Leadership Fellow accreditation. Kim participates in enterprise-level decisions impacting the company mission, revenue/bottom line growth, the overall marketing and digital strategy, executive compensation total rewards, acquisitions, and regulatory considerations. Kim was selected to serve on the TIAA Board of Trustees sub-committee to select their new CEO as well as future Trustees.

Kim is a co-owner and member of Connective Partners, LLC which was formed to create a carefully curated connective in a new marketing services agency called The AceleraConnective℠, LLC. She is also the owner & CEO of Kim M. Sharan, LLC, a strategic marketing consulting firm designed for ambitious companies looking to drive growth, innovation and digital transformation. She is active on a few executive advisory boards: PartnerHere, Vera Health, and Own the Room. Kim’s philanthropic passions center on financial and economic literacy and empowering women and girls. She serves on the Board of Directors of the Council for Economic Education and is chair of the marketing committee.

Kim earned her MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School and her BA in Economics from Drew University. She is a member of The Economic Club of New York and Women’s Forum New York. In her free time, Kim enjoys traveling, Pilates, biking, tennis, and reading. She lives in Naples, Florida with her husband and is the proud mother of three children.