Eileen Cassidy Rivera
Vice President, Communications and Public Relations, Maximus
Eileen Cassidy Rivera is leading a new, proactive approach she said will help media, stakeholders and the public understand how Maximus helps government better serve people in a way no other government services provider can.
Her new approach was especially important as Maximus expanded beyond its business portfolio of four-plus decades to become a federal student loan servicer, beginning in late 2021. Rivera organized focus groups to hear firsthand from borrowers to better appreciate their pain points. This valuable input informed strategic messaging so Maximus could effectively and credibly communicate how it operates as a new kind of student loan servicer focused on the borrower experience.
Rivera also prioritized relationship building with the customer to ensure coordination of messaging and timing. By leveraging these relationships and insights, she created a 360-degree communications strategy to inform key audiences including the client, employees, investors, media, Congress, policymakers and advocacy groups about the new approach Maximus takes to ensure a solid student borrower experience.
“As we continue to grow as a trusted partner helping government agencies achieve success, Eileen’s extensive experience, detailed government sector understanding, and overall professionalism has drastically improved our global communications efforts,” said David M. Casey, senior vice president of government/public relations for marketing and business development at Maximus. “Eileen has an incredible natural ability to provide external stakeholders with clear, precise, and transparent information.”
Why Watch
In 2022, Rivera and her team have embarked to help customers and the public understand a unique, much-needed approach to customer experience for government services.
“No one wants to pay a ‘time tax’ when interacting with the government,” Rivera said. “Everything from long hold times, dropped calls, unanswered emails, and poor customer service, has become all too common. Private sector customer service has radically transformed from call-and-wait (and sometimes pray!) to an increasingly seamless experience leveraging state-of-the-art technology that benefits customer interactions.”