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AIM Adds Three to Senior Management Team

Posted on January 18, 2021

Associated Industries of Massachusetts (AIM) has added three respected business leaders to its senior management team as the commonwealth’s largest business association continues to grow.

Christopher Kealey will join AIM as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer on February 1 after spending almost a decade as Deputy Director of the Massachusetts Business Roundtable. He will oversee the day-to-day operations of the 3,500-member association.

Karen Wallace, who has held senior marketing positions at, Fidelity Investments, MFS Investment Management, and Sun Life, has joined AIM as Executive Vice President of Marketing. She will develop and lead strategies to support expansion of the association and implement AIM’s belief that business can be a positive force for change in a creating a better, more prosperous world.

Kyle Pardo, who has been a key member of the AIM human-resources service division since 2006, has been promoted to Executive Vice President in charge of AIM HR Solutions.  She replaces Gary MacDonald, who retired this month after 18 years at AIM.

“We welcome Chris, Karen and Kyle to these new roles with a great sense of hope and confidence as AIM continues to help member companies navigate into the future,” said John Regan, President and Chief Executive Officer.

“All three bring extensive experience and talents in key areas. They will hit the ground running as employers work through unprecedented changes and prepare for success during 2021.”

Kealey has served as Deputy Director of the Massachusetts Business Roundtable since 2011, leading that organization’s energy, workforce development and care-giving strategies. He was previously Chief of Staff for the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative.

In his new role, he will oversee AIM’s business operations, including membership, communities and events and AIM HR Solutions, which is AIM’s management and services business.

Kealey earned his bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester. He is past chair of the Board of Directors of Teachers21 and serves as a member of the Board of Advisors at the UMass Boston Center for Collaborative Leadership.

Karen Wallace was most recently a consultant to Northeastern University Khoury College of Computer Sciences, the Northeastern University College of Professional Studies and the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. She previously spent over 20 years in marketing positions at Fidelity Investments, including two years as Senior Vice President of Marketing, Communications, and Branding.

She brings a strong capacity for using data to drive marketing, and business growth.

Wallace earned both a Bachelor of Science degree and Master’s in Business administration from Simmons College in Boston. She has pursued professional development courses at the MIT Sloan School, the Harvard Business School and the Tuck School at Dartmouth College.

She serves as a board member for the Boston Children’s Chorus and is a member of the National Black MBA Association, and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.

Kyle Pardo has worked at AIM and AIM HR Solutions since 2006 and during that time has helped members navigate uniquely complex issues ranging from health-care reform to paid family and medical leave to COVID-19. She has extensive HR experience with specialization in compensation and compliance.

She most recently managed the Consulting Services team, which works with employers on compensation consulting (including pay equity), HR audits, handbook reviews, performance management and compliance education. Her team also manages AIM’s annual Wage Survey, HR Practices Survey and Benefits Survey.

Pardo earned her bachelor’s degree from Holy Cross and a master’s degree in Human Resources Management and Services from Emmanuel College.

AIM HR Solutions is a subsidiary of AIM that provides services ranging from training, talent management and recruiting to compensation analysis and on-site HR management to thousands of Massachusetts employers.

“AIM is fortunate to be a growing, vibrant community of employers at a time when Massachusetts and the nation are looking to recover from the COVID-induced economic downturn. These three talented executives will expand our already formidable ability to represent the interests of Massachusetts employers,” Regan said.