Katia K. Hudspeth is a cultural hybrid of Croatian and Canadian roots, talent development expert, coach and mentor with a passion for organizational development and human resources management.

Having grown up in the tourism-centered city of Dubrovnik, Croatia, Katia has been immersed in the hospitality industry from an early age starting with her very first summer jobs, ultimately pursuing it as her area of study at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) in Rochester, NY where she obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Hospitality & Tourism Management with a minor in Business Administration.

Katia presently serves as the Assistant Director of Human Resources at The Ritz-Carlton Reynolds, Lake Oconee, part of Marriott International. Her previous roles have included several HR leadership positions at The Maybourne Beverly Hills, the Maybourne Hotel Group’s first North American property, where she was all-encompassing of the HR function overseeing strategic HR initiatives, project rollouts, employee recognition, training and employee relations. Prior to joining Maybourne, she grew within The Beverly Hills Hotel & Bungalows, a Dorchester Collection hotel, from her first role as HR Administrator over summer internships, through Dorchester Collection's Ultimate Leader Programme into the property's Learning & Development Manager.

Ever eager to continue her formal education journey, she is currently pursuing a Master's Degree of Industrial-Organizational Psychology at The University of Georgia, and is a certified Gallup CliftonStrengths® Coach and DiSC® PPA Accredited Practitioner. Katia is a member of the University of Georgia Hospitality and Food Industry Management (HFIM) Inaugural Advisory Board. She resides in Greensboro, GA with her husband, who is also an RIT alumnus.