Christy Pruitt-Haynes, SPHR
Senior Professional in Human Resources · Executive Bourbon Steward · Certified Bourbon Professional · Certified Cigar Sommelier Tobacconist
Former Fortune 500 HR executive, TEDx speaker, and founder of The Whiskey and Cigar Chic — bringing 25+ years of organizational leadership together with deep, credentialed expertise in bourbon, whiskey, and premium cigars.
A Profile Most Traditional Spirits Executives Can't Replicate
What if your brand's next executive already knows your product intimately, has built and scaled organizations from 20 to 500+ people, has driven double-digit retention gains for Fortune 500 companies, and commands a highly engaged community of 41,000+ bourbon and cigar enthusiasts?
Christy is equally at home on a distillery floor, on the main stage at the Kentucky Bourbon Festival, in a boardroom shaping organizational strategy, and in front of a camera creating content that moves product. She does not dabble — she delivers.
Ready to Serve As
- Chief of Staff / COO / Chief Culture Officer
- Cheif Human Resources Officer/ Organizational Culture, Training and Engagement Executive
- Industry Relations
- Consumer Experience / Consumer Educator
"I think of Christy as an on-call, expert "problem untangler." We have called on her many times at Buffer when relationships were strained, when folks weren't understanding one another, when the problem just seemed too big to manage. Each and every time, Christy dove in, deeply listened to all parties, and then provided wise, practical, action-oriented advice to move things forward. I'm so grateful to have Christy in my corner, both as a coach for me as an individual and as a trusted advisor for Buffer as a company.
— Courtney Sieter, Head of People at Buffer
Three Pillars That Set Her Apart
Industry Credibility
- Executive Bourbon Steward
- Certified Bourbon Professional
- Certified Cigar Sommelier Tobacconist
- TN Bourbon Women Ambassador
- USBG Tennessee Secretary
- JB's Whiskey House Trustee
- KY Bourbon Festival Speaker
- Jim Beam Industry Institute Speaker
Executive Operations
- 25+ Years C-Suite Experience and Collaboration
- Multi-country operations leadership
- P&L aligned people strategy
- Culture transformation architect
- Succession & pipeline building
- Organizational design & alignment
- Change management leadership
- Expert in growning new, emerging, and re-launched brands
Market Recognition
- Featured in Forbes, CNN, Fast Company, Business Insider, and more
- Co-host of multiple Whiskey related podcasts
- 41,000+ engaged followers
- 1.2M+ views on single post
- 7.7% brand IG growth in hours
- Drove immediate product sales
- TEDx speaker & media expert
"Christy's video on New Dawn's 6-year-old bourbon is the ONLY video on ANY social media channel that correlated with direct growth and sales. We saw a 7.7% increase in follower growth in just hours after her post and a 17% increase in interactions by non-followers. More importantly, her post immediately translated into five direct sales within 2 hours of posting. Christy speaks honestly and authentically to her followers which has made her a trusted source in the whiskey community."
— Dr. Dawn O'Neal, Founder and CEO, New Dawn Distilling
Executive Leadership Experience
Founder & CEO — The Whiskey and Cigar Chic
Built a nationally recognized bourbon and cigar education brand from the ground up. Designs premium brand experiences from intimate executive gatherings to conferences of 10,000+. Single post surpassed 1.2M views with proven track record of driving sales.
Founder & President — Christy Pruitt-Haynes Consulting
16-year strategic HR consulting practice serving Fortune 500 clients including Starbucks, Mastercard, Nike, Capital One, and Bridgestone. Delivered 25% improvement in manager effectiveness, 18% increase in engagement scores, and 40% stronger leadership pipelines.
Global Head of Talent & Performance — NeuroLeadership Institute
Led global practice delivering neuroscience-backed organizational solutions to Fortune 500 clients. Improved retention and engagement by double digits with measurement systems linking organizational health to business outcomes.
HR Business Partner — INFINITI Americas, Nissan
Led HR strategy across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, partnering with C-suite on workforce planning, succession, and organizational effectiveness.
HR Director — MTV Networks, Viacom/CMT
Oversaw HR across multiple states and business units including talent acquisition, performance management, and compliance during new channel launches.
Head of Human Resources — Memphis Grizzlies NBA
Built all HR functions from scratch, scaling from 20 to 500+ employees. Organized the first-ever NBA team human resources meeting, convening HR leadership from across the league.
Speaking, Media & Content Leadership
Speaking Topics
- Bourbon, Whiskey & Cigar Education and Trends
- Women & Diverse Communities in Whiskey Culture
- Building Inclusive Premium Experiences
- Brand Development & Authentic Storytelling
- Leadership, Culture & Organizational Performance
- The Intersection of Professional Excellence & Premium Lifestyle
- Creating the Personal and Professional Life You Desire
Media Recognition
- Forbes
- Harvard Business Review
- CNN Business
- Fast Company
- Business Insider
- TEDx Speaker
Podcasts & Content
Co-host of Whiskey University and The Blind Tiger Collective. Instagram: 28,300+ followers · TikTok: 13,400+ followers.
Education, Credentials & Civic Leadership
Education & Professional Development
- B.S., Personnel and Labor Relations, University of Maryland
- Leadership Development for HR Professionals, Center for Creative Leadership
- Brain-Based Coaching Certificate, NeuroLeadership Institute
- Design Thinking Certificate, IDEO U
- Generative AI for HR Professionals, IBM
- Senior Professional in Human Resources, HRCI
- Member, American MENSA
Civic Leadership — Nashville
- Co-Chair, Employee Benefits Board, Metro Nashville Government (2024–Present)
- Member, Mayor's Advisory Committee on Accessibility (2024–Present)
- Chair, Nashville Works Committee, Mayor Freddie O'Connell's Transition Team (2023)
- Nashville Emerging Leaders Award in Human Resources, Nashville Chamber of Commerce
"I'm like bacon, butter, and bourbon.
I make everything better."
— Christy Pruitt-Haynes
Call or Text
(615) 212-5263