Hearst has announced that Rachel Kay has been named vice president of talent, a new position established to develop talent recruiting programs across the company.
The announcement was made by Hearst President and CEO Steven R. Swartz and Chief Operating Officer Mark Aldam. Kay will assume the role immediately, reporting to Aldam.
Kay will oversee talent recruitment strategies at all levels across Hearst, including advancing Hearst’s inclusion and diversity programs, institutional and on-campus recruiting efforts and compensation management. She will also work closely with the company’s human capital leadership teams to customise new recruiting programs to address the specific needs of each business group.
“As our businesses continue to evolve toward more data-driven products and solutions, the demand for new skills continues to accelerate across Hearst,” Aldam said. “It is vital we establish a larger volume of skilled labor prospects ranging from entry level to professional management resources. Rachel has an outstanding track record for recruiting and managing growth-oriented professionals at all levels, and her contributions will be important to our continued growth and success.”
Kay spent 15 years at McKinsey & Company in a variety of roles. She began her tenure as a consultant and was most recently global leader of partner talent beginning in 2018, overseeing the firm’s partner election and evaluation process.
From 2016 to 2018, Kay worked as director of professional development and operations for McKinsey’s mid-Atlantic offices where she led professional development, human resources, office services, administrative support, external relations and office recruiting. She also acted as chief of staff to the office managing partner.
Prior to that, Kay was senior manager of North American women’s recruiting (2014 to 2016), leading a team charged with increasing the number of women in consulting roles at the company. She also served as manager of U.S. business analyst recruiting and professional development (2011 to 2014), successfully increasing retention rates of analysts.
“To be truly successful in today’s global economy, corporations must be strategic about building diverse, results-oriented workforce’s, and I am excited about Hearst’s approach to doing this,” Kay said. “I look forward to contributing to the long-term success of such an enterprising and forward-looking company.”
Rachel Kay earned a bachelor’s degree in history from Harvard University and a Juris Doctor degree from Columbia Law School.