Bright Horizons has carved out a unique position in today’s workplace where hybrid models, wellness demands, and talent retention swirl together in a high-stakes dance.
At the intersection of family support, workforce strategy and digital transformation, the company is reshaping what employer-provided people services can look like. Guiding that shift is Priya Krishnan, whose global instincts, entrepreneurial roots and digital acumen have made her a standout in HR leadership.
A Career Grounded in Purpose & Innovation
Priya Krishnan’s résumé reads like a roadmap to the future of work. Before joining Bright Horizons, she founded and ran the largest premium childcare and early-education company, KLAY Schools. She scaled it to 180 company-owned locations and served over 16,000 children.
Her earlier career in IT consulting (with firms such as Accenture, PwC, EDS) gave her the global systems perspective she now brings to workforce services.
When she joined Bright Horizons in 2020 as Chief Digital & Transformation Officer, her mission was clear: harness technology, data and services to support families and employers in a world where work-life fluency matters more than ever.
Boldly Reframing “Work” & “Support”
Under Priya’s leadership, Bright Horizons has advanced beyond the traditional offering of childcare or tuition programs. She has shifted the lens to holistic workforce ecosystem support, combining on-site childcare, elder-care services, tuition subsidies, and digital platforms that help employers retain and engage talent.
In her recent article titled “The Parent Trap HR Can Solve” featured in The HR Digest, she argues that caring for parents (and by extension caregivers) within the workforce isn’t a perk; it’s a strategic business lever. That mindset, blending empathy with metrics, defines her leadership style.
She insists that “When employees don’t have to choose between caregiving and career, the workforce wins and so does business.” By positioning family support as a key part of talent strategy, she’s reframing how HR leaders approach retention and productivity.
Digital Transformation with a Human Heart
One of the unique threads in Priya’s story is how she bridges tech fluency with people-centric design.
At Bright Horizons, she oversees digital product, experience, M&A and partnership efforts. She ensures that services for families and employees are seamless, intelligent and rooted in real-world needs.
Yet, despite all the technology, Priya remains clear: “It’s not about replacing human connection; it’s about enabling it.” She leads initiatives that bring data to bear (for example, understanding which caregiver supports drive retention) but always with the goal of improving lives, not just systems.
Building the Future of Workforce Support
What’s ahead for Bright Horizons? Under Priya’s guidance, the company is leaning into several key trends:
- Hybrid & flexible work support: Services that adapt for remote or hybrid employees, recognizing that home and work have merged for many.
- Care-economy integration: By connecting childcare, elder-care and educational support, Bright Horizons is creating a full-circle offering for caregivers who are part of the workforce.
- Workforce analytics & insight: Priya is advancing how employers measure the ROI of these people, turning what was often seen as a cost into a strategic investment. Her writings on benefits ROI and employee wellbeing back this up.
- Global scalability: With her international background and a global business, Bright Horizons is positioned to advise organizations across borders, cultures and caregiving contexts.
Why Priya Krishnan Matters in HR Leadership
In the companies that make our headlines, HR often plays catch-up. Priya is flipping that script.
- She brings entrepreneurial authenticity: Having built a business herself, Priya knows what it takes to scale services with both heart and strategy.
- She combines digital acumen with human insight: Her ability to translate tech into improved people outcomes sets her apart.
- She views care-giving support as a talent strategy: In doing so, she helps companies win at the twin challenges of workforce retention and human wellbeing.
- She is proactive about measuring impact: By advocating for ROI on support services, she elevates HR from cost centre to business partner.
Together, these elements make her a standout and exactly the kind of HR leader worth watching as 2025 approaches.
As organizations grapple with the changing nature of work, talent, and care, Bright Horizons stands out thanks to leadership that not only understands this complexity but actively shapes it. Under Priya Krishnan’s direction, the company is redefining the meaning of workplace support, career-life integration, and strategic HR.
In her writings and in her work, Priya makes clear: when companies invest in the whole person, professional and personal, they unlock performance, loyalty and purpose. It’s no wonder she earns a spot among the “5 Most Influential HR Leaders to Watch in 2025.”
About Bright Horizons
Bright Horizons is a global leader in employer-provided childcare, back-up care, elder-care services, tuition advisory, and workforce consulting. Headquartered in Newton, the company helps organizations support their employees, and in doing so, help their business thrive.
Company Details
- Company Name: Bright Horizons
- Founding Year: 1986
- Contact Info: Bright Horizons World Headquarters, 2 Wells Ave, Newton, MA 02459
- Official Website: https://www.brighthorizons.com/
- Industry/ Sector: High quality education and child care industry
Leader’s Profile
- Name of the Featured Leader: Priya Krishnan
- Designation: Chief Digital and Transformation Officer