Mary Kay Gribbons

Mary Kay (MK) Gribbons joined Sunrise Senior Living in September 2021 as Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO). MK brings over 20 years of leadership as a dynamic, collaborative, culture driven human resources (HR) leader with a proven track record of achieving superior business results by harnessing the potential of people, processes, and organizations.

Before joining Sunrise, MK served as the CHRO for Dean Foods, the largest dairy processor in the U.S. with more than 15,000 teammates and 70 plants. There she led a formal restructuring, developed programs to retain leaders, and enhanced internal communication during a period of intense change. Previously, as CHRO of the nation’s leading wholesale pet product distributor, Animal Supply Co, MK played a critical role in merging five separate businesses into one cohesive organization driving company culture and team member engagement. Prior to that, she spent 25 years at American Airlines, where she served as general manager for the Kansas City International Airport and other senior HR leadership positions, driving employee engagement, transparent leadership, and engagement strategies that promoted collaborative and inclusive work practices across the 100,000-employee organization.

She holds her Master of Business Administration from Duke University and Bachelor of Arts from Southwestern University. She is a current member of the Society for Human Resource Management and Human Capital Institute and is a former Board Director for the Make-a-Wish Foundation and the World at Work Executive Rewards Advisory Council.