Expert business Consulting Services

Susan (Susie) Sylvester Zimmerman 

Susie Zimmerman was recently the Head of People at Area 15 Ventures. With over 35 years of experience in Human Resources, she consults various Franchise organizations on people practices optimizing employee selection and maximizing performance and engagement.

Most recently, Susie was the SVP of Human Resources for RE/MAX Holdings, the largest Real Estate Franchising brand in the world.

BACKGROUND and CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

Susie was born and raised in Blytheville, AR, a rural town in the Mississippi Delta. With parents who were entrepreneurs and small business owners, she understood from an early age the effort and commitment it took to hire great people, provide value to customers and contribute to the community where you work.  She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from the University of Arkansas with a major in Human Resources Management and a minor in Communications. She became a member of Alpha Delta Pi sorority, an organization in which she continues to participate, contribute and promote – especially in the promotion and development of female leaders from diverse backgrounds with a wide variety of interests. She later earned her MBA from Colorado State University where she was awarded the coveted Leadership Excellence and Academic Distinction Award (LEAD). 

After moving to Colorado as a young adult, she held various HR leadership positions in public and private firms across Franchising, Real Estate, Financial Services and Technology industries.  As SVP of HR at RE/MAX, she is proud of the work she led with the Women’s Leadership Program which resulted in over 50% of the ELT and Leadership Teams being diverse, and management training programs aligned to RE/MAX Values and consistent management practices across the business. She also held Human Resources leadership positions at OppenheimerFunds, American Residential Communities, Fiserv, Comcast and Citicorp.  

PERSONAL

Susie and her husband, Brian, a native of Colorado, have three grown children and one precious grandson.  Susie loves to ski, golf, play guitar and drink fine wine with dear friends. Although she is a long way from her Arkansas hometown, she remains committed to continue to give back to a community that gave so much to her, and remains involved in economic, philanthropic and social programs there.  She is founder of the Blytheville Prayer Garden and Blytheville Wine Club, a member of the Historic Homes Community and the Greater Mississippi County Chamber of Commerce. 

She is the author of Aunt Susie's Family Favorites Cookbook and The Eras of Mary, a tribute to her late mother, Mary McKinney Sylvester.