Spotlight on Kelly Demaitre, SVP of Human Capital, ECS

With more than 20 years of professional experience, Ms. Demaitre has supported human capital initiatives across various industries, including government contracting, professional services, and information technology. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, trying new cuisines and volunteering. 

Learn more about the Washington, DC CHRO community here.
 

Give us a brief overview of the path that led to your current role.

I started my journey as a recruiter and sought out additional opportunities to learn new roles across HR. I expressed interest in taking on various projects and was afforded that opportunity throughout my career. Having a diverse background in many areas of the field allowed me to step into new roles and adapt quickly.
 

What is one of your guiding leadership principles?

Lead by example – it's important to demonstrate the behaviors, work ethic, and standards you expect from others through your own actions.
 

What is the greatest challenge CHROs face today, and how are you addressing it?

Cultural and leadership challenges are significant while faced with austere budget constraints. I'm focused on building a resilient, inclusive culture which is harder in a world where work models are remote/hybrid. Additionally, there's a strong need for leadership development and succession planning – and limited budget to scale these programs.
 

What is the key to success for someone just starting out as a CHRO?

Be curious, ask a lot of questions and seek to understand the business/organization as well as the varying stakeholders' perspectives.
 

How do you measure success as a leader?

Success is reflected in both the results the leader achieves and the people they inspire along the way.
 

Governing Body members share their insights and leadership perspectives to shape the agendas and topics that address the top priorities impacting business leaders today.