Cox Enterprises Announces Karen Bennett as EVP and Chief People Officer

Bennett takes over for Jill Campbell, who will retire from Cox Enterprises at the end of the year.  

Cox Enterprises announced that Karen Bennett will move from Cox Communications to Cox Enterprises as the company’s new executive vice president and chief people officer, effective Jan. 1, 2023. Bennett has been with Cox since 2015 and most recently held the title of executive vice president and chief people officer. Her background includes more than 25 years of leading teams to help maximize talent potential and the total employee experience, while addressing the needs of the business across all areas of HR.

“We’re excited to welcome Karen to Cox Enterprises,” said Alex Taylor, chairman and CEO, Cox Enterprises. “Her time at Cox has shown that she’s a talented leader who not only deeply cares for our people but also thinks strategically when it comes to our business operations. She’s been a trusted leader in our company for many years, and we look forward to seeing the impact she will make in this role.”

Current Cox Enterprises President and Chief People and Operations Officer Jill Campbell will retire at the end of the year. Campbell is celebrating her 40th year with the company. She shifted from Cox Communications to Cox Enterprises in 2018, and she currently leads the people solutions, real estate, aviation, facilities, security and corporate affairs departments.

“Jill’s presence and the impact she’s made at Cox isn’t something you can put into words,” said Taylor. “Our employees and company are some of the most important things to me in my life, and Jill carries that same passion. I have countless examples of things she’s said and actions she’s taken that have continually renewed my faith in her and her dedication to Cox. She will be sorely missed, but we wish her well in her retirement.”

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Karen Bennett 

Karen Bennett became executive vice president and chief people officer for Cox Communications in 2017. In this role, she developed and executed a talent strategy that aligns with Cox’s operating principles and works through the challenges of driving continual growth in our rapidly evolving business.

Prior to joining Cox Communications, Bennett was chief human resources officer for Cox Media Group, a sister company at the time within Cox Enterprises. Before her time with Cox, Bennett was chief human resources officer for YP (formerly AT&T Ad Solutions). She is a cable veteran as well, having served as senior vice president of human resources for Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. for nearly 14 years.

Bennett serves on the board of directors of the Society of Human Resources Management (SHM) Foundation; the board of directors for the Human Resources Leadership Forum of Atlanta; the WICT Network global board of directors; the Emma Bowen Foundation board of directors and Georgia State University’s HR Roundtable consortium.

Bennett is a graduate of Terry College of Business at the University of Georgia where she earned both her bachelor’s and executive MBA degrees. She is an ICF-certified executive coach.

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Jill Campbell 

Campbell assumed the role of EVP and chief people and operations officer at Cox Enterprises in 2018, before being promoted to president in 2021. She previously served as chief operations officer of Cox Communications. In this role, she oversaw the company’s day-to-day operations, ensuring companywide alignment with competitive strategies to enhance marketplace execution and grow the company’s nearly 7 million residential and business customers.

Campbell joined Cox in 1982 as director of communications in Oklahoma City, where she also served as customer service manager and acting general manager. She later served in several roles for Cox operations, including vice president and general manager for Cox’s Bakersfield, California, and Santa Barbara, California, operations; vice president of customer operations for Cox in Phoenix; and vice president and general manager for Cox’s Las Vegas operation. In 2001, she was promoted to senior vice president of operations for the Eastern Division, and in 2011, she expanded her role to oversee the company’s entire field operations.

A graduate of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Campbell also earned an MBA from Oklahoma City University. She is currently on the board of directors for the Atlanta History Center and Georgia Power, and is a member of the International Women’s Forum. Campbell is a member of the International Coaching Federation and is also a certified master coach.

She previously served as a board member for several nonprofit organizations, including United Way, Boys & Girls Club of America, YMCA, Woodruff Arts Center, Girl Talk and the WICT Foundation. She also served on the boards of the California, Arizona and Nevada cable television associations.

Cox Enterprises 

Cox Enterprises is dedicated to building a better future through our leading communications, automotive and media companies. Our major operating subsidiaries include Cox Communications and Cox Automotive, and we are strategically investing in new industries and emerging technologies, with sizeable interests in clean technology and health care. Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, Cox is a global company with $20 billion in annual revenues and brands that include Autotrader, Kelley Blue Book and Cox Homelife. Founded in 1898 by Ohio Governor James M. Cox, the company is a family-owned business committed to its people, communities and planet. To learn more about Cox, visit coxenterprises.com.

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