Of all the initiatives Carolyn Paganoni leads at Upbring, she takes the greatest pride in fostering a workplace culture driven by results, purpose and compassion.
As Chief People & Culture Officer at Upbring, Carolyn is dedicated to developing and implementing a comprehensive people and culture strategy that aligns with the organization’s strategic goals and objectives.
She oversees a wide range of areas, including organizational development and effectiveness, change management, talent acquisition and management, performance management, learning and development, strategic workforce planning, total rewards, career pathing/succession management, diversity and inclusion, employee engagement and culture. With more than 30 years of experience, Carolyn has successfully delivered a best-in-class employee engagement program and transformed Upbring’s organizational culture.
Her team is committed to providing an engaging employee experience that prioritizes total wellbeing—both professionally and personally. This philosophy reflects Upbring’s holistic commitment to the children in our care, reinforcing the belief that employee wellbeing is intrinsically linked to child wellbeing. At Upbring, our "customers" extend beyond leaders and employees to encompass the children we serve, ensuring that everyone is valued and supported.
Upon joining Upbring in 2013 as Vice President of Human Resources, Carolyn re-engineered the department to streamline infrastructure and transition to a fully integrated strategic people operations model. Her people-first philosophy has resulted in a decrease in annual insurance and healthcare costs, a decrease in vacancy rates, an increase in annual employee retention and more positive leadership-employee relations.
Carolyn’s heart for service dates to before her time at Upbring, and across both the for-profit and nonprofit sectors. She has worked as the Director of Human Resources for Streamwood Behavioral Healthcare System and for BHS Consulting Corporation, as well as a Regional Human Resources Manager at Magellan Behavioral Health. Carolyn also worked as a pro bono consultant at the Taproot Foundation.
Carolyn earned a Bachelor of Arts in English from Illinois Wesleyan University, and both a Master of Business Administration and a Master of Science in Management and Organizational Behavior from Illinois Benedictine College. She holds four human resources certifications: SPHR, SHRM-SCP, SWP and LDSS. She is a member of the Society for Human Resources Management, and SHRM’s Executive Network.
Carolyn enjoys spending her free time relaxing on her patio and playing with her two dogs.
