Rachel Quisenberry
IU Health
“Get close to the work and the people doing the work.”
Rachel Quisenberry has been named to the Talent 100, Class of 2026, the annual award recognizing up to 100 leaders in each category of talent acquisition. Honorees are nominated by peers or found by committees that look for excellent work wherever it happens, then chosen for the depth of their craft and their impact on hiring. This is Rachel's story.
Rachel Quisenberry didn't start her career in talent acquisition, she earned her way there from the business side.
For years at Cummins, she led recruiting and talent acquisition from within the supply chain organization, a remit that stretched across purchasing, quality, and manufacturing. She learned how to bring new talent in, how to keep it, and how to convert interns into full-time employees, all while sitting inside the function she was hiring for.
That business-grounded experience is what eventually pulled her into TA transformation and TA operations. She had proven she could deliver results from the functional side, and leadership took notice.
AI as a Multiplier, Not a Replacement
Rachel has a measured view of artificial intelligence in recruiting, one that sets her apart from some of the hype. She sees AI as a multiplier and an accelerator, not a full replacement of humanity. She compares it to the industrialization movement, a fundamental shift in how work is done and what work is done, but not the end of human contribution. "I think what we are witnessing in our human resource spaces are like these iterations," she says. Think of it in waves.
When Rachel first implemented AI in talent acquisition, she focused on its ability to evaluate talent and rank candidates by alignment to a role based on what appeared on paper. It worked, to a point. But it also revealed gaps. The system depended on a candidate's ability to write a resume, to understand keywords, to tailor their application in ways that spoke to the algorithm, and candidates who couldn't do that began falling out of the funnel.
Rachel is candid about the learning curve, both for the technology and for the people using it. AI evolves rapidly, and the science is advancing.
Grounded in Business, Focused on People
Rachel's background in supply chain and business operations gives her a perspective that many TA leaders lack. She knows what it's like to be on the other side of the table, waiting for the right hire to arrive so the work can move forward, and that urgency and accountability shaped how she approaches talent strategy.
She doesn't think of recruiting as a standalone function. It's embedded in the business, accountable to the business, and successful only when the business succeeds. At IU Health, she continues to live by that standard. Understanding the environment, the pressures, and the day-to-day realities of the people doing the work is non-negotiable, because it's the only way to know what success looks like and who can deliver it.
A Philosophy Built on Integrity and Action
Rachel's mentors gave her more than advice, they gave her a framework: balance vision with immediate impact, lead with unwavering integrity, and understand the business deeply before trying to serve it.
Those lessons show up in how Rachel builds teams, evaluates technology, and makes decisions. She's pragmatic but principled, clear-eyed about the fact that the right answer isn't always the comfortable one, and certain that listening, really listening, is the foundation of everything else.
The Talent 100 exists to celebrate the people shaping the future of how the world hires, and few embody that better than Rachel. We are honored to welcome Rachel Quisenberry to the Talent 100, Class of 2026, and grateful for the experience, perspective, and craft they bring to this community. Congratulations, Rachel. Welcome to the Talent 100.
About the Talent 100
The Talent 100 is an annual list spotlighting the leaders who push HR and talent acquisition forward, organized by Noon AI. Honorees are selected through peer nominations and independent selection committees. Selection is entirely merit-based, with no fees or pay-to-play requirements.
