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Fanny Sheumaker brings a curious and scientific mind to the benefits, compensation, and total rewards space. The former cholesterol metabolism researcher credits those traits not only to the success she’s seen driving organizational change and people initiatives, but also for her “making sense out of chaos” mindset in a complex and misunderstood area of business.
“When you go into research, you work towards an outcome and are looking to answer a certain question. Having that way of thinking really helps you push beyond the status quo and to always look for better and for more,” she says. “In my HR career, I’ve aimed to maintain that mindset while working with my business partners to lay out a road map for the future of total rewards…That requires us to assess where we are by looking at program efficacy, utilization, and outreach efforts while working together to chart a path forward.”
What’s a challenge you face in your work?
“When people think about benefits, many think of administration but the reality is benefits deals with many complex matters,” Fanny Sheumaker says. “One of them includes costs, which are really hard to control. You can control comp expense via a bonus or merit budget. For benefits, you have actuaries to help you access what your future benefits costs might be but all it takes is one or two really bad claims and you completely blow your budget.”
Sheumaker has enjoyed over two decades in HR because of her approach. In 1993, she cut her teeth as a compensation manager for Greyhound Lines, where she got to see what it took to design and administer programs. Those experiences prepared her to build total rewards and HR programming from scratch at the likes of Frito-Lay, JCPenney, Zales, and Parallel. She also harmonized benefits offerings in the aftermath of M&A transactions at 7-Eleven and Dean Foods.
When she was asked to bring her leadership to Caliber Collision in 2022, she saw an opportunity to make an impact.
“When I joined, the company was really big, but from an HR standpoint, it was still maturing its programs and processes,” she reflects. “I saw a chance to join a company that was going to grow tremendously and to make my mark at such a critical stage in its journey.”
“I saw a chance to join a company that was going to grow tremendously and to make my mark at such a critical stage in its journey.”
Fanny Sheumaker
This year is a year of change for Sheumaker and her team. They are in the middle of a complete makeover of the company’s program design, delivery mechanism, and vendor partnerships. In the meantime, they’ve focused on understanding what’s important to Caliber’s employees and tailoring benefits to their needs. In 2023, that took the form of releasing a company-wide survey to gauge employee preferences and to figure out what her team should be prioritizing. The results paved the way to an enhancement in the company’s 401(k) plan and new plans to address concerns about out-of-pocket medical costs.
As she continues to hone strategies to serve employees, she’s looking forward to “prioritizing what they prioritize.”
Caliber in the Community
Caliber Collision has spent the past few years giving back to the communities it serves. In 2022, that collaboration resulted:
- More than 24.5 million meals over the past ten years to feed children who lose access to school lunches during the summer
- More than $6 million to the American Heart Association for heart disease and stroke research and prevention
- More than 500 cars with NABC Recycled Rides, which are gifted to veterans, active-duty military, and others in need of reliable transportation
- More than $3 million in pandemic relief to support current and former teammates
“At the end of the day, benefits is really expensive, so why spend it on stuff your employees don’t need, don’t want, or don’t prioritize,” she says. “Or maybe they do need it, but there’s only so many dollars to spend. It makes the most sense to align ourselves with their needs.”
Sheumaker admits to being “a type-A leader who drives really hard” but who isn’t afraid to roll up her sleeves.
“I don’t expect any more of my team than I expect of myself. While I’m responsible for strategic priorities, I’m not above getting in the trenches,” she says.
For leaders who want to succeed like Sheumaker, she advises them to be accessible.
“It’s important that the people on the front lines see you. Don’t just sit in your office. I make it a point to walk around the office, go to everyone’s cubicle, and to know personal things about my people,” she says. “Those relationships help build a strong team.”
Collective Health is the leading health benefits platform that brings together medical, dental, vision, pharmacy, and program partners into an integrated solution that better enables employees and their families to understand, navigate, and pay for healthcare. By reducing the administrative lift of delivering health benefits, providing an intuitive member experience, and helping control costs and improve outcomes, the company guides employees toward healthier lives and companies toward healthier bottom lines. Collective Health Inc. is headquartered in San Francisco and has additional offices in Chicago; Lehi, Utah; and Plano, Texas. For more, please visit collectivehealth.com.
