Monique Herena (M.A. ’17), Chief Colleague Experience Officer at American Express, has been the 2026 HR Executive of the Year by the field’s leading publication, HR Executive. Honored for her innovative approach to professional development, employee experience and change leadership in the age of AI, Herena is a graduate of TC’s Executive Master’s Program (XMA) in Change Leadership, a cohort-based program in Social-Organizational Psychology.
“This recognition feels especially meaningful at a moment when our work is changing so quickly,” Herena in a message to her more than 23,000 followers on LinkedIn. “As people and technology continue to evolve how we work, I believe the role we play in helping people grow, adapt, and lead through change has never been more critical or more strategic.”
Herena will celebrate alongside leading human resources experts at next month’s Icons Award dinner at the HR Tech conference, followed by a celebration with the Institute for Leadership & Work in Boston.
Herena (third from left) met with social organizational psychology students last year as part of her fireside chat. Pictured from left to right: student Elizabeth Hyde, student Yael Silverstein, Monique Herena, President Tom Bailey, doctoral student Zoë Troxell Whitman, Bill Pasmore, Professor of Practice of Social Organizational Psychology, and doctoral student Nilima Ajaikumar (Photo: Bruce Gilbert)
Recommended for the honor by American Express CEO Steve Squeri, Herena has led numerous recent wins for the Fortune 500 company — where the TC alumna has reimagined human resources into the Colleague Experience Group in order to foster employee engagement, growth and results.
“[Herena] took what we do so well for our customers and applied it to our colleagues, putting them at the center of all we do with a vision of providing the best colleague experience to fuel growth,” Squeri wrote in his recommendation letter for the honor. “The Colleague Experience Group’s vision, mission and strategy she designed are focused on driving deeper connections with all colleagues across the business so we can gain a deeper understanding of their needs and improve their experiences so they can be and deliver their best.”
At Teachers College, Herena has been similarly invested in the success of others. She is a 2025 recipient of the College’s Distinguished Alumni Award, which recognizes the profound impact of alumni on the lives of others in their chosen field. As part of the Alumni Day celebration, Herena shared her experience and perspectives on leadership, student agency and applying TC expertise throughout one’s career.
As part of the celebration of her Distinguished Alumni Award, Herena (right) joined Roberta W. Albert (M.A. ’97, left)), Vice President for Institutional Advancement, and fellow honoree Rebecca Winthrop (Ph.D. ’08, center) in conversation. (Photo: Nina Wurtzel Photography)
Last year, she also returned to campus for a fireside chat with students and alumni from the College’s Social-Organizational Psychology Program. To a standing-room only audience, Herena revealed insights that have shaped her success including lessons learned throughout her career and what it takes to make a difference.
“You will learn something from every single person you encounter — and others can learn from you,” said Herena, for whom this mantra is among her top pieces of advice for professionals. “You unlock your full potential as a leader when you realize it isn’t about you. The focus needs to be on others. It’s about the organization, your team and helping them deliver strong results and outcomes for customers and various stakeholders. The faster you figure this out, it will start coming back to you tenfold.”
Herena (left) shared insights with students and alumni last fall as part of her fireside chat on campus. (Photo courtesy of Amex)
In 2018, Herena and her husband Lou established the Herena Family Endowed Scholarship Fund to support Social-Organizational Psychology masters or doctoral students.
Herena has 30 years of experience in HR across various industries, leading global teams and driving cultural transformations at organizations such as BNY and PepsiCo. She holds leadership roles with the Human Resources Policy Association and has been honored as a National Academy of HR fellow and by American Banker, as one of the most powerful women in banking.