Kairi Purnell

Enterprise Operations & Transformation Executive

Twenty-five years turning enterprise strategy into financial discipline, operational resilience, and measurable results — across financial services, infrastructure, and technology.

Profile

Kairi has spent 25+ years building the operating backbone of regulated enterprises — translating board-level strategy into financial discipline, risk governance, and disciplined execution at scale. Most recently, as Chief Operating Officer and Head of Strategy & Business Effectiveness for TIAA's Global Infrastructure Services, she carried oversight of a $450M+ technology and infrastructure portfolio and led the operating teams behind a 16,000-person workforce transition during COVID-19 without service disruption. She now leads PeopleTech Company LLC, advising regulated enterprises on AI governance and operational resilience, and is pursuing her next enterprise leadership role — COO, general manager, or division president — with full accountability for strategy, operations, and results.

By the Numbers

$450M+
Annual technology & infrastructure portfolio overseen
1,000+
Global associates led across operations
16,000+
Employees kept running through COVID-19 continuity
40%
Faster audit issue closure through automated control testing
80% → 0% Overdue regulatory issue-management action plans cleared within six months.

Capabilities

Enterprise Operations & Execution
Operating Model Design & Optimization
Strategic Planning & Portfolio Management
P&L / Budget Oversight ($450M+ portfolios)
Governance, Risk & Compliance
Global Workforce & Capacity Management
Technology & Infrastructure Operations
Transformation & Change Leadership
Executive Reporting & Board-Level Metrics
Agile / Lean Operating Systems

Experience

2020 – 2025

Chief Operating Officer & Head of Strategy and Business Effectiveness

TIAA — Global Infrastructure Services

Senior operational leader for Global Infrastructure Services, translating enterprise direction into execution across a highly regulated, global environment. Directed continuity strategy for 16,000+ employees during COVID-19, oversaw a $450M+ annual portfolio, and built the executive scorecards that gave the board real-time visibility into cost, risk, and delivery.

2019 – 2020

Head of Governance, Risk & Compliance

TIAA — Global Infrastructure Services

Led governance and risk management for a global organization of 1,000+ associates, reducing overdue issue-management action plans from 80% to 0% within six months and strengthening regulator and board confidence.

2018 – 2019

Head of Portfolio & Business Operations

TIAA — Global Infrastructure Services, Automation Development

Established the operating foundation for a new infrastructure automation organization, delivering $10M+ in savings and building Agile adoption across 21 strategic initiatives.

2017 – 2018

Lead IT Project Manager, Production Services & Architecture

Mitchell Martin, Inc. (service provider to TIAA)

Led client-facing delivery of complex infrastructure and integration initiatives, building an automation program that generated $15M+ in labor efficiency gains and moved delivery teams to Agile and DevOps.

2017

Senior Systems Engineer, Mission-Critical Defense Programs

Indotronix International Corp. (service provider to Lockheed Martin)

Delivered build, testing, and deployment of mission-critical defense systems in highly controlled environments, reducing subsystem costs by 10%.

2001 – Present

Founder & CEO

PeopleTech Company LLC

Owner since 2006; set strategy and holds full P&L accountability for a technology consulting firm now advising regulated enterprises on AI governance, risk, and AI-enabled operations, built on 25+ years of infrastructure, cybersecurity, and GRC leadership.

Earlier career: ArcelorMittal USA, ArcelorMittal, PeopleTech (Director, Network & Electrical Services), and Lucent Technologies (CDMA Software Developer).

Education & Credentials

Education

  • M.S., Cybersecurity — New York University, Tandon School of Engineering
  • B.S., General Science (Physics) — Lincoln University

Licenses & Certifications

  • CISSP (ISC²)
  • SAFe Release Train Engineer / Lean Portfolio Management / Product Management
  • Professional Scrum Master / Product Owner
  • Cisco CCNP, CCDP
  • Licensed Master Electrician