Sylvia Mathews Burwell was born in 1965 in Hinton, West Virginia. She graduated with a degree in government from Harvard University in 1987 and went on to become a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University, graduating with a degree in philosophy, politics, and economics.

Before joining the Department of Health & Human Services, Burwell had a wealth of public and private sector experience. She began her career as an associate at McKinsey and Company, a business management consultant firm. She worked on the campaign of Bill Clinton and joined the Clinton administration in 1993. She served as staff director of the National Economic Council from 1993 to 1995, chief of staff to Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin from 1995 to 1997, and deputy chief of staff to President Clinton from 1997 to 1998. In 1998, Burwell joined the Office of Management and Budget to serve as deputy director until 2001.

Burwell then spent 10 years at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, serving as the president of the Global Development Program and as the Foundation’s first Chief Operating Officer. In 2011 Burwell became president of the Walmart Foundation. During her tenure, the Foundation surpassed $1 billion in total giving.

Burwell first served the administration of President Barack Obama as director of the Office of Management and Budget before being sworn in as the 22nd Secretary of Health and Human Services on June 9, 2014.