Monique Herena is the Chief Colleague Experience Officer at American Express, a role she assumed in
early 2019. As Chief Colleague Experience Officer, Monique is responsible for all aspects of the
colleague experience globally, including talent management, talent acquisition, leadership
development, colleague servicing, compensation and total well-being. As a member of the company’s
Executive Committee, Monique works closely with the Chief Executive Officer, the Board of Directors
and the Executive Committee to build a culture that attracts, retains and develops the best colleagues.
She also serves as an officer of American Express Company and the American Express National Bank.
Monique has 30 years of experience across the HR industry leading global teams and driving cultural
transformations that have strengthened business performance. Before joining American Express, she
was Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) and Senior Executive Vice President, Human Resources,
Marketing and Communications at BNY. Prior to BNY, Monique was at PepsiCo where she served in a
number of increasingly senior HR leadership roles, including assignments in Dubai and Chicago, as well
as in their Purchase, NY headquarters. Her experience also included several years at both Honeywell
and The Quaker Oats Company.
Monique is a Fellow of the National Academy of Human Resources (NAHR), an honor considered the
most prestigious in the HR field, and also serves on its Board of Directors. Monique has also been
recognized by HR Executive as a Top HR Tech Influencer; by The HR Digest as a Top CHRO of the Year;
and twice by American Banker as one of the "Most Powerful Women in Banking" and "Women to
Watch."
She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies from the University of Wisconsin – Parkside (UWP) and in 2021 she received the UWP Distinguished Alumni Award. She also earned two Masters of Arts degrees, one in Communication Studies from Northern Illinois University and one in Organizational Psychology and Change Leadership from Teachers College (TC), Columbia University, where she serves as a guest lecturer and established the Herena Family Endowed Scholarship to support future change leaders. In 2025, TC honored Monique with their Distinguished Alumni Award.
She sits on both the Executive Committee and Board of Directors of the CHRO Association.
Additionally, she is a graduate and faculty member of the Cornell ILR School CHRO Top Seat program
and is a Board member of the Center for Executive Succession at the Darla Moore School of Business at
the University of South Carolina. Monique also serves on the Board of Trustees at the Convent of the
Sacred Heart in New York, NY.
She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies from the University of Wisconsin – Parkside
(UWP) and in 2021 she received the UWP Distinguished Alumni Award. She also earned two Masters of
Arts degrees, one in Communication Studies from Northern Illinois University and one in Organizational
Psychology and Change Leadership from Teachers College (TC), Columbia University, where she serves
as a guest lecturer and established the Herena Family Endowed Scholarship to support future change
leaders. In 2025, TC honored Monique with their Distinguished Alumni Award.
Monique lives in New York, NY with her husband Louis. They are proud parents of Matthew, Michael and
Mia and their French Bulldog, Stella.
