Courtney Martinez

Courtney Martinez serves as the Chief People Officer at Southwind, leading the People & Culture function for the prominent Kansas City-based company and supporting over 63 units. Previously, Martinez held the position of Chief People Officer and Vice President of Talent & HR at Lou Malnati's Pizzeria, focusing on team development for a growing Chicago brand. As a Human Resources Consultant for Courtney Martinez Consulting, strategic talent management was optimized for small and mid-sized restaurant and hospitality companies. Additionally, Martinez served as Vice President of Talent & Human Resources at Houlihan's Restaurants, Inc., supporting over 90 locations, and held senior HR roles at DineEquity and Applebee's, managing franchise support for hundreds of restaurants. Earlier in the career, Courtney was the Human Resources Director at First National Mortgage and a Staffing Specialist at CORESTAFF Services. Academic qualifications include a Master’s degree in Business Administration with a focus on Human Resources from the University of Saint Mary and a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies from the University of Kansas.