Melissa Gutierrez-Smith

Melissa Gutierrez-Smith, SPHR, MBA, CEC, serves as the Chief Human Resources Officer at Ascent Hospitality Management since November 2022. Previously, Melissa held the same position at Floor & Decor from January 2021 to July 2022 and served as Chief People Officer at Focus Brands LLC from February 2012 to January 2021, where Melissa also held multiple roles including Senior Vice President of Human Resources. Notable achievements include saving over $1M in recruiting and training costs, leading talent acquisition strategies, and creating performance appraisal processes and compensation methodologies at Church's Chicken from February 1996 to February 2012. Melissa holds an MBA in Human Resources Development from Johnson & Wales University and a Bachelor of Business Administration from Fairleigh Dickinson University.