Areena McLaughlin

Genuine. Vivacious. Joyful. A cultivator of relationships and baker of cakes.

With a newly minted degree in special education and business administration, Areena began her career in nonprofits, with a focus on developmentally disabled teens. While she envisioned herself as a private school administrator, a fortuitous foray into HR led her to the field of recruiting—and she never looked back.

Effusive and engaging, Areena is a natural salesperson. Her keen understanding of Perkins’ hardworking yet fun-loving culture, unshakable belief in Perkins as a great place to hang your hat, and incisive management mindset make her a wiz at recruiting top talent.

Raised in a large, boisterous family (both her parents are from families of ten), Areena grew up cooking and experimenting with world cuisines. Talented and competitive, she’s a fixture at company cooking competitions. If there’s a chili to stir up or a luscious dessert to bake, she’s in—often nabbing top honors. Not bad for the best recruiter we could ever ask for.