Magic Monday Alumnae Spotlight

It’s Magic Monday: November 1, 2021!

This month we honor a Woman of Mercy who is thoughtful and passionate and committed to justice in the world and service to others. Meet Carrie Bender Hill, MBA ’93. In reflecting on her Mercy education, Carrie says, “The experience of Mercy instills a lifelong commitment to serve others and to seek justice. If there was ever a need for women of Mercy to stand up and lead, it is now. Humanity has been dealt far too many painful blows in the last 19 months. Horrifying racial injustices and violence, a continuing pandemic, and its resulting aftermath. The trauma is real and felt by many. Women of Mercy are keen listeners, confident thinkers, and strong leaders. The power we have due to our collective experience to help our local communities heal and move forward is vast. I think it is critical during this time that we remember the words of Catherine McAuley and strive to live by them: We should be shining lamps, giving light to all around us.”

Name: Carrie Bender Hill, MBA ’93

Post Mercy Education:

B.S., Psychology, James Madison University, 1997
MBA, Villanova University, 2007

Personal and Professional Achievements:

I reside with my family in Havertown, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Philadelphia. I married my high school sweetheart (and Calvert Hall College alum), Gordon (Skip) Hill, Jr. in 2001. We have two children: Alexander (14) and Charlotte (11).

I started my career in the pharmaceutical industry in human resources. A few years in, I had an opportunity to make a transition into information technology, supporting HR, which laid the foundation for what I do today. In 2015, I joined S3 Consulting, a Cyber Security firm specializing in Identity and Access Governance and Management. For the last six years, I’ve helped to deliver technology solutions for our clients that answer two simple (but critically important) questions: what access (to data, to applications, to physical assets) do users have, and should they have it. The work we do helps our clients avoid security and data breaches, strengthens their relative positions in their markets, ensures they remain compliant with an array of government regulations, and makes them more secure.
While I love the work that we do, the heart of S3 is even more compelling to me. My boss, Johanna Baum, founded our firm 15 years ago with a clear mission to put our people first, and to create a culture that attracted women (particularly moms) back into tech. Recently, Johanna offered me the opportunity to serve S3 as the Director of People and Culture, which is a dream job for me. In this role, I will help to craft strategy, programs, and policy to ensure we continue to put our people first as we grow so that we can continue to deliver the highest quality solutions to our clients.

Were there any Mercy faculty members who especially impacted your life? Why?

Mercy would not be without its amazing teachers, and I feel so blessed to have had the opportunity to learn from them. Ms. Amy Gibson taught me how to write and instilled a lifelong love for written expression. Ms. Jeanne Blakeslee provided a continued source of support and guidance, and her Introduction to Psychology class is why I chose psychology as my undergraduate major.

What is your favorite Mercy memory?

What I treasure most about my time at Mercy isn’t a memory; instead, it’s the impact four years of learning and growing alongside so many intelligent and strong women has had on my life. Attending an all-girls school through the impressionable high school years was so affirming. It made me trust my voice, helped me become a more confident leader, and strengthened my resolve that women, can indeed, do anything we set our minds and hearts to.