MU 72 | FALL 2024
Krista Guarnieri Booth
BA(’00) AND MA (’05), Communication Studies
Current job and location:
Director, People Experience & Technology – Europe Corporate, Amazon. I’ve just moved from Seattle, Washington, where I lived for nine years with my husband and two girls, to London, England.
Can you tell us the basics of what your job entails?
I am fortunate to lead the PXT (People Experience and Technology) function across our European corporate teams. This role encompasses managing multi-country human resources (HR) functions across Amazon’s diverse business lines, as well as a secondary focus partnering with the Amazon International Stores leadership team.
Through our work, we aim to position PXT as a strategic partner that enhances the employee experience and leverages the latest HR technologies to enable Amazon’s long-term success. It’s a dynamic and rewarding role that allows me to contribute to the growth and transformation of our European business.
Can you tell us a little about your career background?
I started working in human resources in the insurance industry, the airline industry, manufacturing and, eventually, Amazon in Huntington. I started as an entry-level HR business partner for our customer service team. Within customer service, I eventually took on PXT responsibility for our U.S. operations, overseeing both physical locations and virtual/remote teams. Nine years ago, I relocated our family to Seattle to lead various PXT teams across several business lines before taking on my latest role within Europe.
At each step, the relationships I built in Huntington enabled me to continue growing, scaling and pursuing incredible opportunities, including my current role.
How did your time at Marshall help prepare you?
Marshall helped to prepare me for things I knew I would encounter and many I didn’t. The sense of community was something I really connected with at Marshall — professors who spent the time to actually educate, not just teach, and classes that helped me apply what I was learning. Marshall and the Huntington area instilled in me a sense of humility and compassion that has paid dividends throughout my life, both personally and professionally.
Favorite experiences as a Marshall student?
As a freshman in 1996, the football team was simply unstoppable. And then in 1998, we won the MAC championship with an incredible 12-1 record. The energy on campus during those successful seasons was truly electric. Athletics at Marshall have a unique way of bringing the student body and broader community together.
Are you involved with Marshall Alumni now?
I was recently elected to the Alumni Association Board of Directors, and I’m so excited for the impactful work this group of talented and giving individuals has planned for Marshall students, past, present and future. A key focus of my work with the Alumni Association is ramping up mentorship programs and initiatives to better prepare Marshall graduates for navigating the complex modern job market. It’s an area I’m deeply passionate about, and I’m eager to help “decode” that process for our students.
Can you tell us what you’re passionate about? Why do you love it, why is it important, and what should people know about it that they might not realize?
From a professional standpoint, I’m deeply passionate about creating opportunities for the next generation of leaders. As a parent to an 18-year-old daughter and a 25-year-old “bonus” daughter, I believe the most important job I have is to help raise great humans. I think most parents share that sentiment, but allowing them to flourish in their own way is key. We can often limit ourselves to thinking there is only one path forward, when in reality, the journey is full of possibilities. Helping people see that varied path, even when it’s rocky, is incredibly gratifying.
Especially in today’s world, it’s easy to be the person who points out the negative or the downfalls of others. Instead, I believe it’s crucial to appreciate the paths people have walked and assume positive intent. Choosing a positive mindset in this way cannot be underscored enough. It will allow you to dig deeper, accomplish more than you thought possible and make a meaningful impact on those around you.
