Karen Shellenback is responsible for global research insights in the areas of Talent Strategy and HR Transformation. Prior to joining Mercer, Shellenback held research and consulting positions at Bersin by Deloitte, Cornell University and PwC. ‬She is an expert in qualitative and quantitative research methods, corporate assessments and survey research. Across her 20 years of experience, she has surveyed hundreds of thousands of executives and employees in corporations, academia, and government. Shellenback holds two degrees from Cornell University, where she graduated with honors in Policy Analysis and Management/Industrial and Labor Relations.

Karen Piercy is a partner in Mercer’s HR Effectiveness practice. Her areas of expertise include HR transformation, HR function, shared services and technology assessment, HR strategy, organization and role design, governance, sourcing strategies, and process reengineering. For over 25 years she has served clients in professional and financial services, pharmaceutical, energy, technology, health care, retail, consumer products, manufacturing and distribution, not-for-profit and public sector industries. Piercy holds a BA in economics and business from Lafayette College and a MBA in human resource management from the University of Pittsburgh’s Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business. She has published numerous articles on HR transformation and speaks frequently on HR-effectiveness issues.