Hanold Associates Taps CHRO for Millennium Trust Company

June 18, 2021 – Chicago-based Hanold Associates HR & Diversity Executive has placed Karyn DeFalco as chief human resources officer (CHRO) for Millennium Trust Company (MTC), a leading fintech company providing retirement and investment solutions. Partners Sandra Peña, Sonia Nagra and Adam Watson led the assignment. Ms. DeFalco’s appointment follows John Samaan’s decision to step down as CHRO to pursue another opportunity. “This is a pivotal time in history, as businesses are having to address workforce and workplace situations that are new to everyone,” said Gary Anetsberger, CEO of Millennium Trust Company. “We are excited to welcome Karyn to our team. We are confident that her leadership experience, involvement with organizational transformation and expertise in tech talent development will be crucial to our clients’ ability to achieve their business and investment goals.”

Ms. DeFalco’s leadership experience, in-depth knowledge of human resources functional areas and strategic planning expertise are expected to provide a solid foundation to drive the continued expansion of Millennium Trust’s workforce, which has increased by one-third in the last three years.

Supporting Long-term Growth

In her new role, Ms. DeFalco will serve as a thought partner and business advisor to the CEO and executive leadership team. Her primary focus will be to support the company’s long-term growth agenda, recruit and retain top-tier talent, drive its inclusion and diversity strategy and lead the management and selection of HR platforms, resources and tools to best fit its employee engagement and talent needs and growth goals. As Millennium Trust continues to expand its portfolio of innovative, client-centered solutions, Ms. DeFalco is expected to prioritize building out the company’s product and technology talent.

“My goal is to build on the company’s momentum and ensure that Millennium Trust is prepared for the inevitable challenges that will come with redefining the workplace,” said Ms. DeFalco.

Ms. DeFalco previously served as vice president, human resources at Echo Global Logistics, a Fortune 1000 company that provides technology-enabled transportation and supply chain management services. During her tenure at Echo, she was responsible for the firm’s human resources function, including in-business partnerships, talent management, learning and development, operations, compliance, real estate, facilities and shared services teams. She also served in numerous roles that supported Echo’s inclusion and diversity efforts, including as the executive sponsor to Women at Echo, which held over 600 participants.

Prior to Echo, Ms. DeFalco was founder and president of VIIO Inc. The company consulted with clients on everything from benefits analysis, employee relations, training and coaching, succession planning and talent development initiatives.

Related: Hanold Associates Tapped by TB12 to Recruit New Board Directors

Headquartered in Oak Brook, IL, Millennium Trust Company provides a range of comprehensive, tech-enabled solutions for employers, financial advisors, institutions and individuals. The company’s 2.2 million client accounts hold $33.5 billion in assets. Recently expanding to approximately 400 employees, MTC also recently received new backing from Abry Partners that will help it to continue growth.

Respected HR Consultants

Hanold Associates is a boutique executive search firm focused on HR and diversity and inclusion officers. Its client list is diverse across industries, geographies and business scenarios, and culture is at the core of everything the firm does. Its clients include the National Football League, Zoom, Domino’s Pizza, Under Armour, Patagonia, Gucci, Tom Brady’s TB12, Kohler, REI, Live Nation Entertainment, Dick’s Sporting Goods, McDonald’s, Major League Baseball, Kellogg, Apollo, Big Ten Conference, Blackstone, TPG, L Catterton, Northwestern University, Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Electronic Arts, Fiat-Chrysler, SC Johnson, eBay, Moderna, Hillrom, Great Place To Work, Fossil, Vail Resorts, AbbVie, Carnival Corp., Biogen, Allstate, Bridgestone, Wikimedia, ClubCorp, Nike, Abercrombie & Fitch, Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights and Ford Motor Co., among others.

Ms. Peña focuses on the recruitment of human resource professionals across industries including learning and development, talent management, HRBP, total rewards, talent acquisition, organizational development, and diversity and inclusion.

Prior to joining Hanold Associates, she was an executive recruiter for Korn Ferry where she specialized in the recruitment of chief financial officers and finance executives. Prior to Korn Ferry, Ms. Peña was senior director of business development and account management for Latin America and the U.S. for the Corporate Executive Board in the information technology practice. Her experience also includes roles in business development for Latin America at Euromonitor International, a U.K.-based market research and consulting firm, and as senior international sales specialist for Alliance Laundry Systems, a commercial laundry equipment manufacturer in Wisconsin.

Ms. Nagra focuses on recruiting HR talent across various functions and industries. She brings years of diverse experience leveraging her organizational and relationship building skills to help recruit premier HR leaders. Before joining Hanold Associates last year, Ms. Nagra was a senior HR and operations administrator for Axxiome Group, a financial services IT consulting firm based in Europe.

Mr. Watson, head of communications for Hanold Associates, is based in Salt Lake City, UT. He specializes in employee communications and has a passion for building company cultures that are transparent, productive, and safe for all team members, according to the search firm. He brings more than a decade of marketing and communications experience across multiple high-growth technology companies, including three different unicorns based in the Silicon Slopes. Prior to Hanold, Mr. Watson served as director of communications for InMoment, a B2B tech company in the customer and employee experience space.

Related: Hanold Associates Recruits Chief People and Culture Officer for Major League Baseball

Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Managing Editor; and Stephen Sawicki, Managing Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media