Diane Psaras

Diane Psaras is executive vice president and chief human resources (HR) officer for VITAS Healthcare, the nation’s leading provider of end-of-life care. Appointed to the position in October 2018, she is responsible for the entire HR function for the company’s more than 10,000 employees in 14 states and the District of Columbia.

As a member of the senior executive leadership team, Diane is responsible for bringing the VITAS vision and mission to life through its people. Charged with setting the strategic direction for the HR function, she is a champion for VITAS talent and culture, both of which are critical for a successful healthcare services business.

Diane brings to VITAS more than 26 years of human resources experience, including global and domestic responsibilities across multiple industries. Her corporate experience, leadership and accomplishments span numerous HR initiatives and processes—cultural transformation, performance management, talent development, improvements in employee retention and engagement, and the development of talent metrics and scorecards.

Before joining VITAS, Diane was chief human resources officer at wound-care provider Healogics Inc. in Jacksonville, Florida. She also served as senior vice president of human resources at Red Lobster and was an officer of the parent company, Darden Restaurants Inc. At Red Lobster, Diane developed a successful human resource strategy to support more than 700 restaurants, 65,000 employees and $2.6 billion in annual sales. She also spent 14 years in progressive HR roles with Avery Dennison, including her role as global HR vice president of the Specialty Materials and Converting Group.

In 2023, Diane was a finalist for both HRO Today’s CHRO of the Year and Healthcare HR Leadership Award presented by IBM. She is a member of the exclusive HRO Today Executive Network C-TEN. In 2010, Diane received the Coca Cola Spirit Award for HR best practices, and she was recognized in 2011 and 2012 by People Report™ Best Practices. Diane’s efforts to drive culture and employee engagement at Red Lobster supported Darden’s designation as one of FORTUNE’s “100 Best Companies to Work For” in 2011 and 2012.

Diane earned a bachelor's degree in business administration from Youngstown State University and a master’s in business administration from Rollins College. She is a former board member for Orlando’s Big Brother Big Sister organization and is a member of the Society for Human Resource Management.