Bank holding company Amerant Bancorp has announced the appointment of Kristy Amaro as Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer. Amaro, who joined the Amerant in 2006, will lead the organization’s efforts to further a culture that recognizes and creates opportunities for diverse representation throughout the enterprise, according to a statement. Most recently, Amaro served as People and Organizational Development Manager, working with all organizational levels to develop, promote and deliver learning solutions that develop staff potential and support the organization’s business strategy. She was also the Change Management lead for Amerant’s Digital Transformation strategy, successfully leading a diverse team to drive digital adoption. A key member of the Human Resources team, she has also served as Amerant’s VP of People & Organizational Development, where she worked in partnership with business leaders to identify critical business issues and design organization development and strategic plans to enhance company performance.

Before joining Amerant, Amaro managed the learning and development function in the luxury hotel industry. Early in her career, she also served as a public school educator in under-resourced communities. Jerry Plush, Vice Chairman and CEO, Amerant, said, “We are excited to announce Kristy as our new CDO. She is well-respected within the organization and in the community, and we are confident that she will be very successful in this essential role.” Kristy Amaro, Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer, Amerant, said, “My passions have always been around improving the employee journey and experience. I’m proud to have been chosen for this new role at Amerant and view this as an incredible opportunity to further our environmental, social, and governance efforts.”