Sheryll Poris
Sheryll Poris, Secretary
Sheryll Poris brings to S.A.G.E. over 20 years of business experience, with a concentration in Human Resources. Prior to entering the business world, Sheryll was a social worker in New York providing counsel to terminally ill patients and their families. She applies the same compassion, problem solving and communication skills necessary to succeed as a social worker to her human resources responsibilities at companies such as Wyeth, Johnson and Johnson, Princeton University, and American Express. She is a team player with extensive knowledge and experience in several aspects of the Human Resources function including compensation, benefits, performance management, diversity, communication, resolution of employee relations issues, training, and policy and program development and implementation. Sheryll is currently Vice President, Human Resources, North America at TNS, a marketing company in Horsham, PA.
Sheryll’s demonstrated ability to build consensus, establish trust, and communicate effectively at all levels helps her effectively resolve employee relations issues, and coach and counsel employees at all levels. Her greatest value, however, is as an employee advocate with a reputation for being able to proactively assess employee needs and propose cost-effective solutions that address both the employee issues and the organization’s business goals. Her colleagues recognize Sheryll as an expert in the proactive identification of areas for improvements and for the design, implementation and communication of these innovative Work/Life programs.
For example, she proposed and secured approval of Wyeth’s first Employee Assistance Program (EAP). She teamed with the EAP provider to initiate a new EAP paradigm, which combined counseling and dependent referral/information service. She persuaded the EAP provider to collaborate with Wyeth to pilot this EAP model. This program was so successful that it quickly became the standard format for EAP services and contributed to the growth and success of Wyeth’s EAP provider.
Sheryll is also credited with pioneering an employee benefit that was cited by Working Mother’s Magazine as the primary factor for initially selecting Wyeth as “One of the 100 Best Companies for Working Women”. Management had asked Sheryll to research the possibility of providing a corporate childcare center at the pharmaceutical headquarters in Radnor, PA. Upon determining it was not feasible, due to the unavailability of real estate, Sheryll proposed an innovative alternative for Wyeth to assist employees’ with dependent care needs using the same funds that would have financed the development and maintenance of a corporate childcare center. By contributing to the high cost of dependent care, Wyeth could enable domestic employees, with varied dependent care expenses, to better afford quality care for their loved ones. Not only would employees with pre-school childcare expenses receive assistance, employees with other dependent care expenses (i.e. before/after school programs, eldercare and care for disabled dependents) would also benefit.
Providing support and assistance to those she comes in contact with, both in her professional and personal lives, motivates Sheryll. Her daily goal is to “make a positive difference in at least one person’s life”. She has proven successful in attaining this goal through a unique combination of problem solving skills, analytical skills, interpersonal skills and great sense of humor!