Tanya Sanders

Tanya Sanders is the head of Wells Fargo’s auto finance division, although her specific title mentioned in the source is not "Head of Transformation" but rather encompasses various leadership roles within the auto finance sector.

Here are some key points about her career and contributions:

• Career Background: Tanya Sanders joined Wells Fargo in 2019 and has held several roles, including head of retail underwriting and fulfillment, retail lending, and auto transformation. Before joining Wells Fargo, she worked as a managing director at JPMorgan Chase and as a senior vice president at Bank of America.1

• Early Career and Diversity Challenges: Sanders started her career in engineering at General Electric and later transitioned to consumer finance at Bank of America. She faced challenges in the auto finance sector due to its lack of diversity, feeling isolated as a Black woman in a predominantly White male culture. She temporarily left auto finance to work in business banking but was encouraged by a mentor to return.1

• Mentorship and Advocacy: A significant mentor, a White male leader from her previous role in auto finance, sponsored and mentored her, helping her build a network and advance in her career. Sanders emphasizes the importance of bringing diverse perspectives to the table, especially when she is one of the few or the only representative of underrepresented groups in the room.1

• DEI Commitments: Sanders has been actively involved in Wells Fargo’s diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) commitments. She has advocated for courageous conversations within the company, particularly during significant social events like the George Floyd protests, to ensure that employees' perspectives and experiences are heard and addressed.1

• Community Engagement: Sanders believes that business leaders should engage directly with communities to understand and address their challenges, rather than just reading about the issues. She encourages leaders to spend time in these communities to gain a deeper understanding of the problems and solutions.1