Laila Salguero
Chief People Officer, Unissant
Laila Salguero is proud of how the HR team and Unissant’s corporate leaders have partnered to help fundamentally transform how HR operates and how employees experience the company, with a much greater emphasis on transparency, access and growth.
That has included the launch earlier this year of Unissant’s Unite intranet as a central employee digital resource; developing a companywide Career Framework that standardized levels, competencies, promotion criteria, development pathways, performance expectations and manager conversations. It also created more direct ways for employees to engage with HR.
Together, those efforts give employees greater visibility into the resources available to them, what is expected of them, and how they can build their careers here.
“Laila has fundamentally strengthened the way our people experience HR at Unissant,” said Sumeet Shrivastava, president and CEO of Unissant.
“She has brought greater structure and transparency to career development, made information and resources more accessible, and created new opportunities for employees to connect with each other and with the broader community. She understands that building a strong company means giving people the clarity, support and sense of connection they need to do their best work.”
As Unissant continues to evolve in preparation for customers’ near- and long-term mission needs, the company is also increasingly focused on bringing the right people to the right roles. This significantly reduces ramp-up time as well as ensures Unissant has an ongoing dialogue with government customers. Through this, Unissant is able to both aggressively target talent in the market, and, in parallel, design its training and development around future over-the-horizon needs.
Why Watch
In 2026, Salguero and her team are focused on continuing to strengthen the employee experience while preparing Unissant’s workforce for how the company is evolving as a major technology player in the market.
As AI also continues to evolve and become an increasingly important tool in innovation and delivery, Salguero said she wants to make sure employees have access to the skills, training and development opportunities they need to work confidently and effectively in that environment.
They are also continuing to optimize Unite and create opportunities like the monthly HR lunch and external events that keep employees connected to each other, the company and the community.
“I don’t want our employees to have to guess about where to find information, what is expected of them, or what growth looks like,” Salguero said. “My focus has been on creating more transparency around those things while also giving people more opportunities to connect with one another, with our company, and with the communities around us.”
Fun fact: Salguero is invested in the economic future of Northern Virginia. She serves on the GO Virginia Region 7 Council and was recently named vice chair, working alongside regional leaders to strengthen workforce development and support long-term economic growth. “For me, it is another opportunity to help create stronger connections between people, businesses, and opportunity across the region,” Salguero said.