New Directions Behavioral Health Announces new Chief People Officer Lynn Merritt

New Directions Behavioral Health announced that it has appointed Lynn Merritt as the company’s new chief people officer (CPO). Merritt brings to her new role over 15 years of human resources experience in the healthcare industry.

“We were seeking an innovative leader to partner with myself and our leaders on building and operating a strategic people-focused talent agenda,” said President & CEO Shana Hoffman. “Our employees are the backbone of our organization and we are committed to offering an environment and culture that prioritizes their well-being while encouraging them to thrive. With Lynn’s leadership, we plan to build upon this foundation and further focus our efforts on attracting, developing and retaining high-performing talent.”

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As CPO at New Directions, Merritt will be responsible for leading the people organization, including the talent and culture initiatives that will continue to support the current and future business strategy.

Merritt joins New Directions from Healogics, where she served as chief human resources officer, providing strategic direction for all aspects of the HR function including talent acquisition and development, employee relations, compensation and benefits and HR information systems and analytics. Merritt joined Healogics in 2015 as vice president of learning and development.

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Prior to her tenure at Healogics, Merritt served as executive director of human resources at Aetna and held previous roles at Cigna and The Hartford. Merritt earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of Connecticut and a Master of Science in Organizational Behavior from the University of Hartford.

“I’m thrilled to be joining New Directions at such an exciting and critical time for the behavioral health industry,” said Merritt. “Creating an inspirational culture in support of this very important industry need is at the very core of this organization’s purpose – and I’m honored to work alongside such compassionate individuals as we empower one another to make a difference.”  

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