Winnie Liao has been appointed as Detroit’s new Chief Operating Officer by Mayor Mary Sheffield. Liao is expected to lead efforts to improve how residents and businesses interact with city government, focusing on access to services and streamlining processes.
Previously, Liao played a key role in restructuring service delivery for the Michigan Secretary of State, where she reduced wait times and improved customer experience across 131 branch offices. She most recently served as Vice President of Enterprise Operations at Mastercard, where she was responsible for enhancing digital experiences and service management for the company’s global workforce.
“Whether it’s fixing broken water mains, getting buses to run on time or navigating the process for opening a new business, I’ve heard resident’s calls to make these processes easier for them,” said Mayor Sheffield. “Winnie has a consistent record of fundamentally improving service delivery and the customer experience. Detroiters deserve the best, and Winnie is an example of how my administration is recruiting the best talent locally and nationally.”
Liao brings experience from healthcare, technology, government, and consulting sectors. She also served as Treasurer on the Board of Directors at Civilla, a Detroit-based nonprofit focused on human-centered design in public institutions.
As COO, Liao will oversee 17 city departments including transportation, fire services, water and sewerage, innovation and technology, public works, lighting authorities, parking department, and others. Her responsibilities include driving modernization efforts across these departments to create more customer-focused services. She will implement clear metrics to measure accountability and improvement success.
“Mayor Sheffield has a clear vision for the future of city government, and I appreciate her confidence in my ability to execute it,” said Liao. “We have a dedicated and knowledgeable workforce, a vibrant business community, and residents who are often hindered by inefficient, outdated processes and systems stemming from years of competing priorities and underinvestment. Our approach will be to leverage the expertise of our teams and partners alongside direct feedback from businesses and residents to ensure city services are accessible, efficient, innovative, and customer focused.”
Mayor Sheffield signed an Executive Directive requiring Liao to develop key service improvements by mid-2026. The directive outlines four main priorities: customer service that is intuitive; efficiency through modernized IT systems; equity by removing barriers; and innovation using data-driven approaches.
From Mayor Sheffield’s Executive Directive: “Working across service departments, the COO ensures that residents receive high-quality, reliable, responsive services while advancing my vision for the City through effective operational management. This includes oversight of personnel, resources logistics,and systems that keep the City running smoothly each day. When a city is effectively managed,and service delivery centers on customer service efficiency,equity,and innovation,residents have greater confidence in municipal government.As a result people choose to remain in the City,and new residents are attracted.”
Accordingly,the directive instructs Liao to initiate a city-wide operations improvement plan within this year focusing on all major service departments.
“It’s an honor to be part of this historic moment,focused on accelerating the improvement of services for the residentsand businessesof this great city,” said Liao.
Liao will begin her role officially on February 16 with an annual salary set at $290000.
