Our 2025 Women of Achievement are incredible leaders who have made a lasting difference in their fields contributing to finance, healthcare, law, policy and philanthropy. These global impact makers each bring unique skills and a deep commitment to both their work and the communities they serve.
These three Tri Deltas are truly examples for us all! We are thrilled to honor and celebrate Sylvia Sydow Kerrigan, Southwestern, Karen Lynch Parkhill, Southern Methodist, and Jacqueline Reses, Pennsylvania, as our 2025 Women of Achievement.
Sylvia Sydow Kerrigan, Southwestern
Lawyer, Thought Leader, Mentor
Sylvia Sydow Kerrigan is an accomplished legal mind, energy industry leader and dedicated mentor to future professionals. A dual citizen of the U.S. and Brazil, she attended the University of Texas School of Law, where she clerked for Texas Supreme Court Justice Eugene Cook. After earning her law degree, she joined Clann, Bell, and Murphy, specializing in international corporate law, maritime law, insurance and complex civil litigation.
Sylvia spent 22 years at Marathon Oil Corporation, rising to executive vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary. Her leadership didn’t go unnoticed—she was named a Top 10 Exploration and Production Executive by the Houston Business Journal and earned the Ernest E. Smith Lifetime Achievement Award for her contributions to the energy industry. Sylvia even stepped away from Marathon for a time to serve on the United Nations Security Council’s Commission d’Indemnisation (UNCC) in Geneva, Switzerland.
In 2022, she joined OXY as senior vice president and Chief Legal Officer, continuing her impact in the field. Beyond her corporate success, Sylvia is deeply committed to education and leadership development. She serves on the Board of Trustees at both the Southwestern University and the University of Texas schools of law and chairs Southwestern’s Academic Affairs Committee. With a career defined by excellence, service and a global perspective, Sylvia continues to shape the future of the legal and energy industries while inspiring the next generation of leaders.
Karen Lynch Parkhill, Southern Methodist
Financial Leader, Volunteer, Strategist
Karen Lynch Parkhill is a seasoned financial leader with over 30 years of experience across healthcare, banking and technology. Currently serving as the Executive Vice President and CFO of HP Inc., Karen’s career has been defined by her strategic vision and leadership in driving financial growth and development. Before joining HP in August 2024, Karen was the CFO of Medtronic, where she made a lasting impact on finance strategy and leadership development for 13 years. Her journey also includes executive roles at JP Morgan and Comerica, shaping her reputation as a trusted leader in finance.
In addition to her role at HP, Karen is actively involved in the community, serving on the American Express board, where she chairs the Risk Committee, and as a member of the International Women’s Forum. She has also served on boards for Methodist Health System, Boys and Girls Clubs of America, SMU Cox School of Business and the YWCA of Metropolitan Chicago. Karen’s impressive leadership has earned her numerous accolades, including recognition as one of the 25 Most Powerful Women in Banking, Top 25 Women Leaders in Medical Devices and CFO of the Year by the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal. Karen holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in finance and a Bachelor of Science in mathematics from Southern Methodist University, along with an MBA in accounting and finance from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. With her passion for mentorship and a commitment to shaping the future of finance, Karen continues to inspire the next generation of leaders.
Jacqueline Reses, Pennsylvania
Disruptor, Investor, Author
Jacqueline Reses is the dynamic chair, CEO, and co-founder of Lead, a leading banking-as-a-service platform designed to support fintech, consumer, e-commerce and digital asset companies. Her career has been defined by a passion for innovation and leadership in the financial and technology sectors.
Before founding Lead, Jacqueline held pivotal roles at Square, Inc. (now Block, Inc.), including executive chair of Square Financial Services, head of Square Capital and head of the People Team. Prior to that, she was the Chief Development Officer at Yahoo! and a partner at Apax Partners Worldwide, and she spent seven years at Goldman Sachs in mergers and acquisitions and principal investment areas. Jacqueline has also made significant contributions to economic policy and corporate governance. She served as chair of the Economic Advisory Council for the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco and currently serves on the boards of Endeavor, Affirm and Nubank. She is also an advisor for the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and has been involved in the boards of Alibaba Group and Pershing Square Tontine Holdings.
A true advocate for entrepreneurship, Jacqueline co-authored “Self-Made Boss: Advice, Hacks, and Lessons From Small Business Owners,” a guide to starting, running and growing small businesses. She also holds multiple patents in payments, credit and cryptocurrency. Jacqueline earned her Bachelor of Science in economics with honors from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Jacqueline’s innovation and entrepreneurship continues to shape the future of business.