A distinguished leader in executive coaching and talent strategy, Jennie Reis currently serves as an executive coach through Jennie Reis Coaching and Consulting in Houston. Since founding her business in 2019, she has supported individuals and organizations by building leadership systems that scale and guiding leaders to grow their talent with clarity, capability and confidence. She is recognized for her depth of knowledge across the entire employee life cycle, strategic hiring, onboarding, coaching and retention.
In addition to her work with her own firm, Ms. Reis has offered her services as a vendor coach for CoCreate Work since 2026, for The Human Reach since 2024 and for Rice University’s Doerr Institute for New Leaders since 2020. Through these positions, she has provided invaluable guidance to emerging leaders and organizations seeking to enhance their talent management practices. Ms. Reis is also in the midst of developing Hire and Thrive, a cohort-based program designed for founders, chief operating officers, chiefs of staff and leaders within organizations lacking dedicated human resources or talent professionals. This five-month initiative addresses each stage of the employee life cycle through group sessions complemented by individualized coaching that is tailored to each participant’s unique needs.
Prior to and while establishing her own organization, Ms. Reis held several key roles at Amazon over the course of nearly 10 years. She initially joined the company in 2013 as a senior recruiter for the Amazon Fashion vertical before being promoted to recruiting manager for Amazon Fashion and Retail, senior program manager for global talent management, and senior manager of global operations onboarding. Ms. Reis experienced a defining moment in her career in 2017, when she joined a confidential project team at Amazon tasked with revolutionizing global talent management. Entrusted with reconstructing the organization’s talent management approach from the ground up, she advocated for employee-centric development strategies and, alongside colleagues, prioritized well-being over bureaucracy, making it one of the most innovative projects in the industry to this day.
In her final position at Amazon as executive recruiter and onboarding specialist for Amazon Web Services from 2022 to 2024, Ms. Reis played a pivotal role in streamlining the hiring process for director and vice president roles. Her most notable accomplishment during this period was designing and implementing an internal mobility program for executives to address the critical issue of leadership attrition due to limited advancement opportunities. Her comprehensive system and training program resulted in significant improvements to high-level retention and a 72 percent reduction in the time required to fill senior leadership roles.
Before joining Amazon, Ms. Reis built her human resources foundation at Target Corporation. She began as an associate campus recruiter in 2003 before advancing to roles of increasing responsibility, including Master of Business Administration recruiter, human resource business partner, human resource manager, senior campus recruiter and organizational effectiveness training consultant. These opportunities equipped her with a comprehensive understanding of talent acquisition, employee development and corporate efficacy.
Ms. Reis’ performance in the field has been supported by her academic journey. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in early child development from Stephens College in 1997. Ms. Reis has demonstrated a commitment to continued professional development by obtaining multiple credentials. Among those, she has been certified in EQ-i 2.0 Emotional Intelligence Assessment through Multi-Health Systems Inc. and as a trained leadership coach through the Co-Active Training Institute.
To remain aware of developments affecting her industry and to help her retain excellence in her career, Ms. Smith has maintained her professional affiliation with the International Coaching Federation. Her skill and dedication have led to recognition through a variety of internal awards. Ms. Reis sets herself apart from competitors by quickly connecting with clients on a personal level, uncovering underlying concerns that may not be immediately apparent. This attention to detail allows her to foster long-term connections built on authenticity and trust rather than transactional interactions.
Beyond her professional pursuits, Ms. Reis is committed to civic engagement through pro bono coaching with Dress for Success, where she serves as a designated speaker and volunteers at conferences. She offers free coaching sessions at least twice annually at these events, utilizing her expertise in service of community development.
Outside of work, Ms. Reis is a loving mother to one son, Willie, whose creative pursuits and athletic interests she takes great pride in supporting as a baseball and hockey mom. She also enjoys cooking, reading, and practicing Pilates and yoga.
In the years ahead, Ms. Reis aims to expand her business by offering solutions across strategic hiring, onboarding, coaching and retention. She plans to leverage the insights she gained from her extensive experience at Amazon and Target to help organizations recognize talent as their most valuable asset.