Maria Schaefer is Vice President of Enterprise Talent Operations at BrightSpring Health Services. Her job is to advance the company’s capabilities to attract and acquire talent and is responsible for delivering 32,000 new hires into the organization annually. She joined BrightSpring’s Human Resources leadership team in 2022, following a 17-year career at Humana where Maria last served as Chief of Staff in the Information Technology (IT) organization. In 2024, she and her team were recognized with the Silver Stevie Award as Talent Acquisition Team of the Year. Maria’s career is marked with diverse experiences in HR, IT and Health Insurance Operations. She spent the first nine years of her career setting human capital strategies and executing programs centered around compensation, mergers and acquisitions, organizational development, and talent management. She also served in roles where she was responsible for developing and executing the business growth strategy for P&L businesses, leading daily operations, and monitoring organizational performance. Maria has also previously led an IT program management office and other enablement functions such as communications, learning, and organizational change management. In addition to her “day job”, Maria is an active community player in Louisville, KY. She regularly assists with projects that address food insecurity, provide housing to the homeless, and educate young children about health and well-being. In the workplace, Maria is a known culture builder and a sponsor of women’s advancement in the workplace.