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Lianne (Lotz) Daues ‘00 is an accomplished HR professional who has made a name for herself in the world of Talent Acquisition. After attending Miami of Ohio, where she graduated summa cum laude with a major in Public Relations and a minor in Family Studies, Lianne embarked on a career path that has seen her become a leader in her field.
Currently, Lianne leads the Talent Acquisition Delivery function at McKesson Corporation, a Fortune 9 company that is responsible for delivering a third of all pharmaceuticals used in North America. In this role, Lianne is responsible for driving innovation within the talent landscape and helping to identify and recruit top talent for the organization.
She comes from a family of Whitfield graduates, including Laura Lotz ‘95 and Ron Lotz ’98. Lianne now lives in Dallas, Texas, with her husband, Kirk Daues ‘95, and their daughter, Madelyn (6).
Describe how Whitfield prepared you for college and beyond.
First, the collaboration skills I learned throughout my six years at Whitfield helped me a great deal in college and the real world. In every class, I learned how to work with others in effective, efficient, and positive ways, from group projects and presentations to seminars and casual discussions. I also was taught that successful collaboration is multi-faceted: it’s being able to recognize others’ strengths and challenges, determine how to get the best work from individuals, and make sure everyone feels valued and heard. These are skills I use every day in my work as I collaborate across departments and lead my team.
Second, Whitfield taught me the importance of iterating, although that wasn’t the word we used then; we called it drafting. Specifically in English and social studies, embracing the drafting process was critical to producing good work that reflected sound thinking. This experience taught me that great ideas can take time to develop and evolve into final drafts, a lesson that has proven invaluable as I lead multi-million dollar project initiatives through their various phases. My understanding and appreciation of the drafting process has allowed me to approach these initiatives strategically and in a highly organized manner, ultimately contributing to the success of my teams.
What are you most thankful for from your Whitfield experience, both in and outside of the classroom?
I am most thankful for Whitfield’s small size. Now that I have a child, I understand the importance of those early developmental years. I was able to grow as an adult within a thoughtful, nurturing community where I was known, supported, and challenged to be my best self. My teachers knew me, the staff knew me, the beloved lunch ladies knew me - being known mattered and made a significant difference in my life.
What skills do you use in your career that you began forming at Whitfield?
A significant portion of my role at McKesson involves fostering connections and collaborating with leaders throughout the organization. Another large portion of my job revolves around building compelling business cases and delivering presentations to senior leadership. The presentation skills I honed during my time at Whitfield have provided me with a distinct advantage over my peers, and I have continued to cultivate and enhance these skills to this day.
Also, although I never loved math, I built my understanding and appreciation of data at Whitfield. Today, as part of my role, I am responsible for interpreting qualitative and quantitative data and communicating insights derived from it. This requires me to look at various data sets, including hiring trends, market insights, and business initiatives, among others. The small classroom environment at Whitfield, coupled with teachers who made math as 'real-world' as possible, helped me develop a deep understanding of data analysis and its practical applications. These skills have been incredibly important, allowing me to effectively analyze data and tell compelling stories that help drive business outcomes.
Career Description
As a Talent Acquisition leader and strategist, Lianne Daues has curated a diverse career working for corporations with strong brands and lasting impact.
After college, Lianne spent time in the consumer goods and retail industry, standing as the Director of Talent Acquisition for Core-Mark International, a leading distributor to the convenience retail industry in North America, as well as the Director of Talent Acquisition and Talent Development for The Container Store. Here she was responsible for establishing The Container Store’s Brand as well as Corporate and Field Recruiting Processes.
Lianne currently leads the Talent Acquisition efforts across North America for McKesson Corporation, a Fortune 9 company that delivers a third of all pharmaceuticals used in North America. One of the most impactful and challenging times in her career was during the COVID pandemic when her team supported McKesson as they served as the U.S. government’s centralized distributor for hundreds of millions of vaccine and supply kits.