Elease E. Wright

Elease E. Wright was the Senior Vice President, Human Resources for Aetna Inc., from 1997 - 2012. In this role, she is responsible for the development of all HR strategies, and the delivery of HR services and programs.

Ms. Wright has specialized in HR for more than 20 years. During that time, she has held many key positions, including Head of HR Re-engineering Implementation and Head of HR Finance and Administration. She has also served in senior positions in the Education, Pension, and Employee Relations departments.

An expert in strategic education models, staffing, employee relations, re-engineering, organizational and leadership development, Ms. Wright has led many critical and successful human resources initiatives. Recently, she has managed the transformation of HR into a strategic business partner, the development and launch of a comprehensive and leading-edge benefits strategy and creation of a comprehensive talent management system.

Ms. Wright’s community involvement includes leadership roles for her alma mater, the University of Connecticut, for which she serves both on the Board of Advisors for the UConn School of Business and the Board of Directors for the UConn Foundation. She also serves on the Board of Directors for HR Policy Association, advisory board for Cornell University's Center for Advanced Human Resource Studies, and is past president of the Hartford Region YWCA Board of Directors. In addition, she serves on the Board of Directors for The Bushnell, Connecticut's premier performing arts center.

She is a member of the Executive Leadership Council, was named one of Savoy Professional Magazine’s “Top 100 Most Influential Blacks in Corporate America,” one of the Top 25 Most Influential Black Women in Business, and one of Black Enterprise's Top 50 Blacks in Corporate America. She was also installed in the National Academy of Human Resources (NAHR) 2007 Class of Fellows and inducted into the UConn School of Business Hall of Fame in 2008.

Ms. Wright holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Education from the University of Connecticut. She resides in Hartford, CT, with her husband, Dana.