Tara SpannSenior Fellow, Boston

Chief People & Strategy Officer, MENTOR National

Tara Spann is a highly accomplished and enterprising People, Strategy, Diversity & Inclusion Professional with more than 20 years of leadership experience in Inclusive Excellence, Cultural Transformation, Strategy Development and Execution, Process Improvement, and Emerging D&I Practices in Higher Education.

In her current role as Chief People & Strategy Officer for MENTOR National, Ms. Spann is responsible for developing people, processes, and strategies with a focus on ensuring that MENTOR’s greatest asset – its staff – is best positioned to achieve ambitious organizational goals.

Previously, Ms. Spann served as the Head of Diversity & Inclusion for Eversource Energy, Director of Global Economic Inclusion & Supplier Diversity for Merck & Co. Inc., Associate Director & Executive Lead, Supplier Diversity for Bristol-Myers Squibb and Executive Director, Diversity Initiatives for Staples, Inc.

Ms. Spann holds a Juris Doctorate from Suffolk University Law School and a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Northeastern University, as well as a certificate from Cornell University in Strategic Human Resources Leadership.

She is the recipient of and responsible for a multitude of prestigious Professional and Diversity & Inclusion Awards and has served as a panelist, speaker, keynote speaker, and moderator during her numerous speaking engagements and public relations appearances. Ms. Spann is committed to economic inclusion and social justice, is a consultant, and sits on several boards. She currently lives in Boston and is living her life like it’s golden!