Prior to Co-Founding accelHRate in 2014, she spent eight years with Korn Ferry where she led the HR Center of Expertise as Senior Client Partner and simultaneously served as Managing Partner for the company’s Northern Virginia office. She was also an active member of their CEO and Board Practice.

Prior to joining Korn Ferry in 2006, Ms. Shanahan led Wireless Corporate Strategy and Business Development for MCI, where she helped develop MCI’s next generation broadband and convergence strategy, formed and managed strategic partnerships, and launched new markets across the US. Ms. Shanahan was first recruited to MCI in Human Resources to develop and lead its global executive recruiting and talent strategy. Prior to MCI, Ms. Shanahan spent four years with Heidrick & Struggles, where she focused on C-level searches for technology and consumer companies globally. Earlier, Ms. Shanahan spent several years in management consulting with DFI International.

Ms. Shanahan serves on the Board of the National Alopecia Areata Foundation (NAAF). She also serves on multiple Advisory Boards for Virginia Tech, including the APEX Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, President Sands’ National Capital Region Leadership Council, The Department of Management, and the Pamplin College of Business (PAC). She is a 2007 graduate of Leadership Fairfax’s Signature Program. She has been published and/or featured in Fortune, Human Resource Executive Magazine, HROToday, Chief Executive Magazine, SHRM, The Washington Post, and has been co-host on “The CEO Show” on Executive Leaders Radio. She has previously been named one of Washington’s 100 Tech Titans. Ms. Shanahan holds a B.S. degree with a double major in finance and communications from Virginia Tech.