WashingtonExec has awarded Maximus General Manager of the U.S. Services Segment Ilene Baylinson with the Longevity Award, which recognizes executives who made outstanding contributions to their companies throughout the years.
Baylinson joined Maximus in 1991, celebrating 32 years with the company in May. She leads the Health and Human Services segment operations, where she is responsible for all operational and financial activities. Baylinson also oversees the development and capture of new business for Maximus’ U.S. health and human services portfolio.
When Baylinson joined Maximus, it was primarily a consulting company. It had just started a small state and local BPO practice and needed someone to lead and grow that business. It was a time when the federal government was pushing down funding to the states to support large health and human services programs, Baylinson said. It seemed like an exciting opportunity to create a new practice area.
“I had limited experience in the state and local market,” she said. “So, I joined Maximus in 1991 as the chief operating officer to help grow this new tiny BPO arm of the company.”
Yet what made her stay with the company was the opportunity to be a part of Maximus’ growth and transformation over the years. When she joined, it had 200 employees and about $20 million in revenue. Now, there are over 40,000 employees and $4.6 billion in revenue.
“Over the years, I have had the opportunity to help grow our BPO practice, move Maximus into the state and local BPO market, re-establish our Federal practice, participate in our going public, run our Corporate Marketing and Government Relations arms of the company, and be a part of creating new markets and new practice areas over the years,” Baylinson said. “It was an opportunity for me to grow with the company ⏤ and one I was privileged to be a part of.”
And one of the most rewarding parts about her tenure so far has been watching her staff develop and grow. Baylinson has worked with many members of her team since they graduated college and even attended their weddings, watched their children grow up and welcomed their grandchildren.
“I have been a part of both their professional and their personal growth,” Baylinson said, “and that has been incredibly rewarding.”
Longevity has also given Baylinson the benefit of history, having lived through earlier transformations and seen the art of the possible. She has gained the confidence to look into the future and see the path toward the company’s next transformation.
“It has also provided me with the opportunity to work with some of our state clients for decades ⏤ helping them transform and implement new programs over the years ⏤ whether that was rolling out managed care in the late 1990s or the Affordable Care Act a decade later,” Baylinson added.
She has experienced the value of partnership with state clients, and that helped form and ground her expectations on how change can be implemented in the public sector space.
“I am proud of what we have accomplished with our state and local partners over the years, as we have moved forward together to improve the lives of our neediest consumers,” she said.
In a time when job hopping happens more than ever, this top list recognizes the longevity executives have had at companies and celebrates big milestones like 10, 15 and 20+ years with the same organization. We highlight the impact that comes with longstanding commitments to one company, and how it contributes to organizational growth, culture, mentorship, and knowledge sharing. But more importantly, we celebrate the journey of evolving and growing with a company’s success.
“Recognizing Ilene Baylinson for her long-term contributions to Maximus, and the millions of citizens we serve through the programs she oversees, marks a wonderful moment for her and the company,” said Bruce Caswell, Maximus CEO. “Few others have witnessed the growth and evolution of Maximus first-hand, including being instrumental in winning the first major contract that helped make us a public company.”
“Ilene’s selfless focus on creating opportunities for growth for her business ⏤ and therefore people ⏤ are a hallmark of her management philosophy and create a legacy that will carry us well into the future. I’m thrilled for Ilene to receive this very well-deserved recognition.”
WashingtonExec is honored to present this award to Baylinson to celebrate her decades of career excellence.
Congratulations, Ilene!