Karen Sheean is the Chief HR Officer for Atria Senior Living, overseeing human resources for the company’s 400+ communities across the U.S. and Canada. In this role, Karen focuses on the experience, engagement and culture of Atria employees. She provides senior HR counsel and oversees HR operations, including recruitment, employee development, total rewards, and employee relations.
Prior to her current role at Atria which she assumed in 2021, Karen served as the Chief People Officer for Holiday Retirement, where she led similar functions and pioneered their employee engagement program, earning four consecutive years of Great Place to Work certification and placing in the Top 5 of Fortune’s Best Place to Work in Aging Services. Before finding her home in the senior living industry, Karen spent 16 years with KinderCare Learning Centers (now KinderCare Education) serving in roles ranging from center operations, learning and development, and the Vice President of Corporate Operations.
Karen earned her Bachelor’s Degree from Ohio University and is a certified Silver Elite trainer of VitalSmarts “Crucial Conversations,” having trained over 400 individuals in the program. Karen also holds her SHRM-SP certification and has additional professional certifications in Lominger Competencies, Behavior-Based Interviewing, Eden Alternative, Action Based Research, and Relationship Selling facilitation.
Karen describes herself as an optimistic lifelong learner with a passion for teaching, travel, music, online shopping, and spending quality time with her husband of 23 years and her aspiring film director son.