Benton McTaggart, SPHR, SHRM-SCP

Benton McTaggart, SPHR, SHRM-SCP has extensive work experience in various roles and industries. Benton currently serves as the Chief People Officer at Meritize, a FinTech startup, where they provide executive leadership across all aspects of the HR function. Benton leads a team in managing talent acquisition, compensation, performance management, HR administration, and corporate culture. Benton is also a member of the Executive Leadership Team and participates in Board meetings. Prior to their current role, they were the Head of Human Capital and Culture at Meritize.

Before joining Meritize, Benton ran their own coaching business, Benton McTaggart Coaching, where they coached individuals on topics such as executive presence, emotional intelligence, and influencing and engaging others. Benton also worked as a corporate trainer, speaker, and workshop facilitator, helping high-achieving women recreate their leadership image.

Earlier in their career, Benton worked as a Career Strategist and Coach at SoFi, providing consultation and coaching to professionals in areas such as career development and personal brand development. Benton also worked as a Graduate Assistant at the University of Rochester, coaching MBA and MS candidates in job search preparation and conducting talent acquisition.

In addition, Benton has experience in employee engagement and internal communication strategy as a Senior Manager at LIME. Benton has also taught digital marketing courses at the International University of the Caribbean and the University of the West Indies, Mona.

Before entering the coaching and education field, Benton worked at Digicel Group in roles such as Social Media Executive and Public Relations Executive, where they developed digital marketing strategies and managed brand PR tactics. Benton also worked as a Public Relations Coordinator at the Digicel Jamaica Foundation, handling PR activities and developing sustainability strategies.

Benton McTaggart, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, completed their Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree with a focus on Business System Consulting & Brand Management at the University of Rochester - Simon Business School from 2013 to 2014. Prior to that, they obtained a BA degree in Media and Communication and Spanish from UWI, MONA, where they studied from 2006 to 2009.

In addition to their educational background, Benton McTaggart has obtained various certifications. In 2022, they earned the Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP) certification from SHRM and the Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) certification from HRCI. Before that, in 2021, they obtained the Instructional Design certification from the Association for Talent Development (ATD) and the Facilitation Skills Certificate from the same institution in 2021.

Furthermore, Benton McTaggart has a range of other certifications, including being a PSYCH-K Facilitator in Basic and Advanced Subconscious Change from PSYCH-K® Facilitation in 2019, a Certified Professional Coach from iPEC Coaching in 2017, and an Energy Leadership Master Practitioner (ELI-MP) from iPEC Coaching in 2017.

Additionally, Benton McTaggart holds certifications such as Certified Personal Brand Strategist from Reach Personal Branding in 2016 and a 360Reach Analyst certification from the same institution in 2016. Furthermore, they completed a course in Social Media Marketing for Marketing and PR Professionals from The University of the West Indies in 2010 and a Proof Reading and Editing course from the same institution in 2009.