North Texas’ AMN Healthcare Names Veteran HR Exec as Chief People Officer

Watt brings more than two decades of strategic and operational experience to the Coppell-based healthcare staffing company, where she will lead the human resources function following the recent retirement of Carolyn Kenny.

Veteran human resources executive Tomya Watt has been appointed chief people officer of AMN Healthcare, a Coppell-based healthcare staffing company.

Watt brings more than two decades of strategic and operational experience in healthcare and talent solutions to her appointment, which will be effective Jan. 13. She’ll guide the company’s human resources function into a new era of sustainable growth, AMN said, following the recent retirement of Carolyn Kenny.

“We are thrilled to welcome Tomya Watt to AMN Healthcare,” Cary Grace, AMN Healthcare’s president and CEO, said in a statement, adding, “Tomya’s visionary leadership and extensive expertise in human resources, combined with her deep understanding of the healthcare and staffing sector, align seamlessly with our mission to empower the future of care. Her dedication to fostering high-performing organizations with a culture of inclusion and belonging will be crucial in advancing our strategic vision.”

Watt joins AMN Healthcare from New York-based Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, where she was interim chief human resources officer and chief diversity officer. She led a 170-person team and managed all HR functions for the $6.7 billion, 22,000-employee organization.

Watt enhanced organizational effectiveness and employee engagement there through innovative strategies, improved decision-making with real-time people data, optimized the talent acquisition process to reduce costs, and increased awareness of inclusion and diversity to enhance patient experiences, AMN said.

Before that, Watt held senior leadership positions at Kelly Services Inc. and Comerica Bank. 

Watt is a member of the Gartner CHRO Healthcare Group and serves on the advisory board of The Conference Board’s Labor Market Center.

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