The Huntington Library has recently appointed Misty Bennett as chief human resources officer. Bennett, corporate director of talent and culture at Rosewood Hotel Group, begins her new role at the Huntington on Wednesday, Jan. 27. She will join the Huntington’s senior leadership team and report to the vice president and chief financial officer.
“Misty’s impressive experience with HR strategy and talent management, her innate curiosity, and her ready ability to solve problems and present fresh ideas made her an absolute standout during the recruitment process,” said Janet Alberti, Anne and Jim Rothenberg vice president and chief financial officer at the Huntington. “The search committee and I were particularly struck by the parallels between Misty’s background in hospitality and the Huntington’s own culture of exceptional visitor service. We are so very pleased to have her joining the Huntington at this pivotal moment, as we are stepping into our next hundred years.”
Bennett, a native of Kansas City, Missouri, holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration and hospitality management from Howard University in Washington, D.C., and comes to the Huntington with more than 20 years of hospitality and human resources experience at Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts and, more recently, Rosewood. Among her key strengths: talent acquisition and retention, executive and leadership coaching, employee relations and advocacy, and talent development.
“I am a huge fan of the Huntington, its mission, its beauty and intellectual depth, but I am especially inspired by the level of staff engagement and commitment,” Bennett said. “In particular, I know that for several years, the staff have been working in a very focused way on matters of diversity, inclusion and equity, and that this is among the institution’s highest priorities. I cannot wait to join and help lead that initiative. I look forward to working with our talented staff on a range of related issues, and I am particularly excited about the prospect of helping the institution engage an even greater array of audiences, particularly underrepresented populations.” The Huntington recently launched a Strategic Plan for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion with specific goals over a five-year period.
In her work at the Four Seasons, Bennett served as a board member for the National Society of Minorities in Hospitality and successfully recruited and placed more than 20 managers of color, a 30% increase year over year. She also spearheaded the diversity and inclusion strategy for national college and university recruitment for the Four Seasons.
Bennett has been the corporate director for talent and culture in the Los Angeles office of Rosewood Hotel Group since 2018. Based in Hong Kong, Rosewood Group is one of the leading hotel companies worldwide. In her position there, Bennett oversaw both domestic and international staff recruitment across the Americas, among other duties. Before moving to Rosewood Group, Bennett spent nearly two decades in human resources at Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, most recently in St. Louis.
At the Huntington, whose staff numbers just under 500, Bennett will oversee all aspects of human resources, including talent acquisition and development, retention, HR policy and procedures, staff benefits, employee engagement, performance management, and workplace culture and community, among other related areas of responsibility.
