OAKLAND, Calif. - Shaun Smith is joining Kaiser Permanente as executive vice president and chief people officer of Kaiser Permanente, effective October 12. In this role, Smith will lead Kaiser Permanente's enterprise human resources strategy and operations, with a focus on attracting, developing, and supporting the people who make the organization's mission possible.

Smith will help strengthen talent development so employees can grow and build their careers at Kaiser Permanente. He will also help lead the organization's multiyear work to strengthen its culture and make Kaiser Permanente an even better place to work.

"Shaun brings deep expertise in labor relations, organizational transformation, talent strategy, and culture," said Greg A. Adams, chair and chief executive officer of Kaiser Permanente. "His leadership will help us continue to invest in our people, strengthen career and development opportunities across the enterprise, and foster a culture where employees can do their best work in service to our members, patients, and communities."

Smith will report to Adams for enterprise people strategy and enterprisewide responsibilities, and to Craig T. Albanese, MD, president, Integrated Care and Coverage, for day-to-day operational leadership of Kaiser Permanente's people, people strategy, labor strategy, and labor relationships. The structure reflects the importance of both a strong enterprise people strategy and a close connection between Kaiser Permanente's workforce and the delivery of care.

Smith brings more than 25 years of human resources leadership in academic health systems. He joins Kaiser Permanente from NewYork-Presbyterian, where he served as group senior vice president and chief people and culture officer. He holds a law degree and a bachelor's degree in business administration from Pace University.

About Kaiser Permanente

Kaiser Permanente is committed to helping shape the future of health care. We are recognized as one of America's leading health care providers and not-for-profit health plans. Founded in 1945, Kaiser Permanente has a mission to provide high-quality, affordable health care services and to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve. We currently serve 12.6 million members in 9 states and the District of Columbia. Care for members and patients is focused on their total health and guided by their personal Permanente Medical Group physicians, specialists, and team of caregivers. Our expert and caring medical teams are empowered and supported by industry-leading technology advances and tools for health promotion, disease prevention, state-of-the-art care delivery, and world-class chronic disease management. Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to care innovations, clinical research, health education, and the support of community health.