Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States, July 2026 — Schneider Downs has appointed Vanessa Ethier as its Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO). In her new role, she will lead the firm’s enterprise-wide people strategy and human resources operations, overseeing talent acquisition, leadership development, performance management, total rewards, workforce planning, employee relations, HR technology, and organizational culture. Her appointment reflects Schneider Downs’ continued focus on aligning people strategy with business growth and delivering exceptional client service through a high-performing workforce.
Vanessa joins Schneider Downs from CLA (CliftonLarsonAllen), where she served as Managing Director, Human Resources, leading the firm’s national HR Consulting & Outsourcing practice. She partnered with executive leadership teams on HR transformation, organizational effectiveness, workforce planning, succession strategy, talent management, total rewards, people analytics, and scalable HR operating models, helping organizations translate business strategy into measurable people outcomes.
Prior to CLA, Vanessa spent more than three years with Amazon, where she held two global HR leadership roles. As Global Human Resources Leader, she partnered with Corporate and Technology organizations across the Americas, EMEA, and APAC, leading organizational design, workforce planning, performance management, employee relations, leadership capability, succession planning, and inclusion initiatives. Earlier, as Head of Global Talent Development, she led enterprise talent and leadership development strategies for more than 51,000 employees across 41 countries, launching global onboarding programs, AI-enabled coaching platforms, manager capability initiatives, and enterprise leadership development programs that strengthened organizational effectiveness worldwide.
Earlier, Vanessa served as Head of Global Leadership, Talent Management and Development at PetSmart, where she built enterprise-wide leadership development, succession planning, talent management, and capability-building programs supporting more than 45,000 employees and 5,000 leaders across North America and APAC.
Before transitioning fully into executive HR leadership, Vanessa briefly served as Executive Recruiter – Accounting & Finance at Vaco, advising organizations on executive talent acquisition and leadership hiring across technology, financial services, manufacturing, and retail sectors.
Earlier in her career, she built extensive financial leadership experience through senior executive positions including Chief Financial Officer at Cooperstown Business Advisors, Chief Financial Officer & Vice President of Operations at Signature Analytics, Corporate Controller at Priority Ambulance, Director of Accounting at Arizona Summit Law School, and leadership positions with DriveTime, where she progressed from Controller & Financial Reporting Manager to Director of Accounting and Loan Servicing, leading large multi-site finance and operations teams.
She began her professional career in public accounting, serving as Senior Auditor at BDO USA LLP, Auditor at Deloitte, and earlier as a Staff Accountant with UPS, establishing a strong foundation in finance, governance, reporting, and operational excellence before moving into executive leadership.
Throughout her career, Vanessa has built a unique leadership profile that combines deep expertise in finance, organizational transformation, executive leadership, talent strategy, workforce planning, leadership development, HR technology, organizational design, and business strategy. Her experience leading large-scale global organizations across multiple industries positions her well to drive Schneider Downs’ people agenda and support the firm’s continued growth.
About Schneider Downs
Schneider Downs is one of the 60 largest public accounting firms in the United States and the fourth-largest public accounting and business advisory firm in Western Pennsylvania. The firm provides more than 80 professional services across assurance and audit, tax advisory, business consulting, private client advisory, and retirement solutions. With offices in Pittsburgh, Columbus, and the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, Schneider Downs serves clients throughout the United States and internationally, delivering integrated advisory services to organizations across multiple industries.
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