Kelly Demaitre
Senior Vice President, Human Capital, ECS
Over the past year, Kelly Demaitre and her team elevated human capital into a true business driver for ECS. By emphasizing a people-first philosophy, innovative HR strategies and close collaboration with leaders across the organization, she has positioned HR as a catalyst for culture, growth and long-term success.
A key focus has been strengthening ECS’ talent acquisition processes to attract and retain top talent during a volatile year.
“My team has enhanced our HR technology infrastructure and streamlined our processes, leading to a 25% reduction in our average time to fill positions,” Demaitre said. “This not only helped us increase revenue but allowed us to better support our customers’ critical missions by providing professional resources faster.”
Her team took a proactive approach to support employees at risk of losing their positions. By expanding rehoming efforts, ECS successfully placed over half of those affected into new roles, with 24% of open positions filled internally. This approach created greater stability and higher morale, reflected in the company’s 86% employee engagement score — 12% above the industry average. It also preserved institutional knowledge and improved financial performance, benefiting customers through smoother workflows and fewer disruptions.
Why Watch
For the remainder of 2025, she and her team are concentrating on implementing talent strategies that align with ECS’ broader business objectives, with an emphasis on leadership development and organizational design. A key priority is partnering with leaders across the company to identify learning gaps and development needs.
“Together, we’re reskilling our workforce, building processes for incorporating feedback, and tracking results to accurately measure the return on our investment,” she said.
ECS President John Heneghan said Demaitre elevated the role of human capital while driving measurable improvements in talent acquisition and employee stability.
“Through streamlined processes and innovative HR strategies, her leadership has strengthened our business performance and enabled us to better support our customers’ critical missions,” Heneghan said.
A personal quote Demaitre likes is, “Rise without dimming anyone else’s light — let your shine be brilliant.”
Fun Fact: Demaitre is a first-generation college graduate. She attended the University of Maryland after completing her associate degree while working full time.