Making sense of a bank acquisition requires an obsessive attention to detail and an ego-free commitment to getting the job done. That's why, following the October of 2025 announcement of Fifth Third's acquisition of Comerica, the organization put their best women on the job.
"During due diligence, we were here day, night, and weekend," said Melissa Stevens, Fifth Third's chief marketing officer and a leader of the Women of Integration team. "We didn't have anyone coming in to clean [the office] because this is a highly confidential deal. So when the trash needed to go out, you took it out. When it was your turn to clean up the dishes, you cleaned up the dishes. That's just what you do."
The Women of Integration — led by Stevens and Head of Integration Megan Burkhart, Head of Commercial Payments Bridgit Chayt, Chief Audit Executive Liz Osborne, and Chief Human Resources Officer Nancy Pinckney — was comprised of 20 executive women* spanning areas of expertise. Together, they put clear communication at the center of the strategy.
"People often talk about an acquisition as a technical event — entities being renamed, systems conversions," Stevens said. "But it's not a technical event for employees or customers. From the beginning, we focused on what people hear, what they see, what's changing for them, and how supported they feel."
For customers, proactive communications were supported by relationship-manager outreach. Welcome kits explained what was happening and why, outlining any product changes. For employees, in-person coffee chats, lunches, and information sessions were held at legacy Comerica locations, with ask-me-anything access to leaders.
"Clients will vote with their feet, and we're net up from a customer standpoint," Stevens said. "Comerica colleagues want to know what's happening with them; we did accelerate and tell people if their role wouldn't exist for the long-term. But even in those instances, people were glad to not live in uncertainty. Clarity is the common thread."
To support the technical side of the integration, mock simulations tested conversion scenarios in real time, tracking data integrity and systems performance as the two banks' worlds officially come together. This empowered the team to identify and solve challenges before the next scheduled simulation — and well before the planned conversion completion in September 2026.
The acquisition positions Fifth Third as the nation's ninth largest bank with roughly $300 billion in assets, operating in 17 of the 20 fastest‑growing large U.S. markets with strengthened positions in legacy markets, including the Midwest. Over the next five years, Fifth Third will invest nearly $1 billion in Texas, including 150 new financial centers expected to open by 2029. The work created by the Women of Integration will support this ongoing growth — and create a replicable playbook for the future.
"I've been at this bank for 27 years, and sitting with the Women of Integration was the first time I was the only male in the board room," said Jamie Leonard, Fifth Third COO. "This diversity of talent gives us a better all-around picture than if you just had a bunch of white males deciding the fate of the integration. It's given us a more holistic approach than we've taken in the past."
Team Members
Melissa Stevens, Chief Marketing Officer
Megan Burkhart, Head of Integration
Bridgit Chayt, Head of Commercial Payments
Liz Osborne, Chief Audit Executive
Nancy Pinckney, Chief Human Resources Officer
Keri Beach, Head of Commercial Credit Delivery
Carrie Lichter, Head of Enterprise and Non-Financial Risk
Jodi Melton, One Bank Sales Effectiveness
Mary Ellen Reilly, Chief Fiduciary Officer and Head of Trust
Sallie Willingham, Controller
Holly Flowers, Financial Planning & Analysis
Sarai Green, Remediation Program Office
Andrea Schaefer, Human Capital Business Controls & Special Projects
Jennifer Hendricks Sullivan, Chief Communications Officer
Emily Rotella, Assistant General Counsel
Phenise Poole, Deputy General Counsel
Liz Jukic, Head of Enterprise Program Management Office
Janelle Tucker, Disputes & Customer Experience
DeeDee Wiele, EWS Strategy & Relationship Management
Liz Andrews-Bock, Software Engineering
