The Hillshire Brands Co. announced that Mary Oleksiuk, 50, will join the company as chief human resources officer. Oleksiuk will be responsible for the company's human resources strategy and function, including compensation and benefits, talent management, employee development and organizational design. She will join the company on Oct. 22, and will report to Sean Connolly, chief executive officer.

"Mary has a strong track record of driving company growth through performance excellence, employee engagement and development while building talent and culture within an organization," said Connolly. "This hire completes our management team, and I know Mary will play a key leadership role as we define and enhance our culture, focus on innovation throughout the company and continue to drive toward a successful future."

Oleksiuk joins Hillshire Brands from Discover Financial Services, a direct banking and payment services company, where she was the chief human resources officer and senior vice president. At Discover, she was responsible for managing all human resources functions in the organization, including talent management, staffing, compensation and employee relations, as well as developing effective employee engagement,, diversity and performance management strategies.

Prior to Discover, Oleksiuk worked at the Alberto Culver Company (part of Unilever), where she was the senior vice president, global human resources. In this role, she managed a global team that directed leadership development, compensation, company culture, and employee engagement. In addition, she enjoyed success as a human resources leader at companies such as Limited Brands, Inc., Orbitz, Solucient/Thompson Reuters and Honeywell/AlliedSignal.

Oleksiuk holds dual Bachelor of Science degrees from Wayne State University as well as a Master of Science degree from the University of Illinois. She also served as a board member for Amethyst, Inc., a nonprofit organization that helps women and their families recover from trauma and addiction.

Source: Hillshire Brands Co.