Karen Bennett is executive vice president and chief people officer for Cox Enterprises, a global, family-owned company that owns, operates and invests in businesses spanning automotive, greenhouse agriculture, software, cleantech, outdoor recreation and journalism. 

Bennett is responsible for the company’s people strategy and employee experience, including people solutions, corporate affairs, inclusion, HR technology, total rewards, talent acquisition, and brand, marketing and creative. Her career at Cox extends across nearly 12 years and three divisions. She served as chief human resources officer for Cox Media Group and as executive vice president and chief people officer for Cox Communications before moving over to Cox Enterprises in 2023. In these roles she has developed and executed talent strategies and guided employees through numerous periods of transformation and growth. 

Before joining Cox, Bennett was chief human resources officer for YP, formerly AT&T Ad Solutions. She also spent nearly 14 years at Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., where she served as senior vice president of human resources. 

Bennett currently serves on the board of directors of the National Center for Civil and Human Rights, Girls Inc. (National Board), Society of Human Resources Management (SHRM) Foundation, the Human Resources Leadership Forum of Atlanta, and the Metro Atlanta American Heart Association. She also serves on the Georgia State University HR Roundtable consortium. 

Bennett earned both her bachelor’s degree and executive MBA from the Terry College of Business at the University of Georgia. In 2023, Terry College recognized her as a Distinguished Alumni Award recipient.