Henderson Engineers Names New Chief People Officer

LENEXA, Kan. — Henderson Engineers, a national building systems design firm, has hired Mindy Garrett as its new Chief People Officer (CPO). Garrett, who has more than 22 years of human resources (HR) experience within professional services, will oversee the HR department, employee and leadership development, and spearhead company culture initiatives including diversity and inclusion programs. She joins the firm following a sustained period of explosive growth. From 2014 to 2021, Henderson has more than doubled from 400 employees to 900-plus employees across 12 offices nationwide.

Initially, Garrett is focused on welcoming Henderson employees back to the workplace after more than a year of working from home. Staff came back in a limited capacity in June with a full return to offices slated for September. Full remote work and hybrid schedules – a combination of in-office and remote work – will continue to be schedule options for employees long-term.

“We’re excited to have Mindy on board to not only lead our HR team, but to also help steer our strategic direction as it relates to employee development and success,” said Rich Smith, president and CEO at Henderson. “Our people are the key reason our firm continues to thrive. The pandemic naturally shifted how we operate in many ways, but our focus on the professional and personal well-being of our staff remains the same. Mindy’s vast experience in employee engagement, career development, recruiting, and HR operations will be invaluable in ensuring we remain one of the best places to work within our industry.”

Prior to Henderson, Garrett was the Director of HR Consulting at Cerner Corporation, a healthcare information technology firm based in North Kansas City, Mo. Preceding that, she served as Senior Vice President-HR Partner at Swiss RE, one of the world's leading reinsurance firms. During her 13 years with the company, she led HR efforts in the US and internationally.

“I feel right at home at Henderson given its people-first approach, which fosters a culture that values and promotes employee success,” said Garrett. “As the firm’s top employee relationship-builder, the CPO brings a valuable and unique viewpoint to the executive team. I’m excited to partner with leadership to ensure our business strategy continues to align with our people strategy and our increased focus on diversity and inclusion in our ranks. Henderson is on a strong growth trajectory and I’m eager to help set the direction of the firm as we continue to evolve.”

Garrett is a graduate of the University of Kansas in Lawrence, Kan., where she earned her master’s degree in human resources and her bachelor’s degree in business administration. She is a certified Professional in Human Resources (PHR).