Marie E. Donaldson recognized for IT systems and employee support leadership

Influential Women is spotlighting Marie E. Donaldson, a Rochester-based manager at Excellus Blue Cross Blue Shield, for her work leading Workday support and employee service operations. The profile highlights her focus on process improvement, workplace resilience, and people-centered leadership across more than 35 years in IT and operations. Why it matters: - Marie E. Donaldson’s work sits at the intersection of IT systems, process management, and employee support in a large healthcare organization. - Her role affects how employees and retirees receive service, how teams use Workday, and how internal support operations perform. - The profile also points to a broader management issue: keeping service quality high while building stress-resilient workplaces. What happened: - Influential Women featured Marie E. Donaldson for leadership in IT systems, process management, and employee support. - Donaldson is Manager of Lifetime Employee Support at Excellus Blue Cross Blue Shield in Rochester, New York. - She leads teams responsible for Workday software support and employee and retiree service delivery. - The profile describes her as a seasoned IT and process management professional with more than 35 years of experience. The details: - Donaldson oversees support systems designed to be responsive and efficient for employees and retirees. - Her work combines technical system knowledge with a focus on service quality and human-centered support. - She holds a degree in Computer and Information Sciences from Colorado Technical University. - She also holds a degree in Business Administration from Central City Business Institute. - Her career has included enterprise initiatives that improved operational efficiency and internal support structures. - She developed ERP support center operations and implemented finance technology solutions that improved process consistency and system performance. - Her improvement work has used structured methodologies to streamline workflows, reduce inefficiencies, and improve user experience across departments. - Her certifications include SHRM-CP, CCSP, Excel Value Stream Mapping, Six Sigma Foundations, and cross-cultural communication. - Those credentials support her use of data-driven analysis and quality improvement in complex organizational settings. - Donaldson participates in Veterans of Foreign Wars initiatives, including Toys for Tots and Honor Flight. - She also speaks to professional groups and students about workplace resilience, emotional intelligence, and sustainable career practices. - She emphasizes stress management strategies in high-demand service environments. Between the lines: - The profile frames Donaldson’s leadership style as a mix of consistency, empathy, and accountability. - That approach reflects a growing emphasis on employee well-being as a driver of retention, performance, and service quality. - The article also highlights a practical tension in her field: delivering strong results with constrained resources. - Cross-functional learning appears to be one answer, since broader skills can help employees adapt as organizational needs change. - The piece positions technical skill and emotional intelligence as complementary rather than competing strengths. What’s next: - Donaldson’s profile suggests she will continue focusing on mentoring, workforce well-being, and operational improvement. - Her message to women entering technical and support roles centers on continuous learning and adaptability. - The Influential Women profile is available here . The bottom line: - Donaldson’s spotlight is less about a single achievement than a management model: strong systems work, thoughtful team leadership, and a workplace culture built for long-term performance.