Sophia (“Sophie”) Muirhead was appointed by the Board of Directors of The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) as the organization’s Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer (COO) in January 2023, becoming the first female and first person of color to hold this role in IEEE’s 140-year history. IEEE, with over 460,000 volunteers in 190 countries, is a public charity with a mission to advance technology for the benefit of humanity. Sophie is responsible for managing a global staff of over 1,100 employees and overseeing a business enterprise with annual revenues exceeding $600 million, ensuring the organization’s continued growth and success.

Before assuming the role of Executive Director and COO, Sophie served as IEEE’s General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer for four years. During this time, she provided invaluable legal counsel and business advice to the organization’s Board of Directors, Presidents and CEOs, senior volunteer leaders, and global staff. Her expertise and trusted guidance enabled IEEE to effectively navigate complex legal and compliance matters, and maintain its position as a leader in its industry.

Sophie’s professional experience prior to joining IEEE in 2019 includes a distinguished tenure of two decades at The Conference Board (TCB), a preeminent global economic think tank and business membership organization established in 1917. During her time there, she held several leadership roles, including serving as TCB’s inaugural Chief Legal Officer, where she successfully established a legal team and built an internal legal function from the ground up. She also held various operations positions, including overseeing TCB’s Marketing and Communications Center. Her extensive background in legal affairs and operational management has been instrumental in her ability to effectively lead and drive organizational success. Sophie’s expertise was profiled in Vanguard Law.

Sophie earned her Juris Doctorate from the Harvard Law School, where she excelled as an editor and contributor to the prestigious Harvard International Law Journal. Originally from Kingston, Jamaica, she obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from Hunter College, graduating with high honors (magna cum laude). In addition to her academic achievements at Harvard and Hunter, Sophie has pursued studies at both Boston University and the University of London, demonstrating her dedication to academic excellence and continual professional development.

Sophie is a member of several prominent professional organizations, including the National Association of Corporate Directors, the New York State Bar Association, and the Association of Corporate Counsel. In addition, as part of her commitment to supporting and advancing education and engineering initiatives, she serves on the Boards of Trustees of the Hunter College Foundation and the United Engineering Foundation.