Mission, Kansas, United States, July 2025 — Courtney Martinez has joined Southwind as Chief People Officer, bringing her decades of HR and talent leadership to a diverse and rapidly growing portfolio of brands that includes 1-800-GOT-JUNK?, DreamLawn, Shack Shine, You Move Me, and Fountain Comfort Group.
In her new role, Courtney leads the People & Culture function for Southwind, a Kansas City-headquartered company recognized as one of the city’s best places to work by the Kansas City Business Journal in multiple years. She will oversee initiatives to enhance employee engagement, experience, and retention across over 63+ locations in the United States and Canada.
Before joining Southwind, Courtney was Chief People Officer at Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria, where she led people operations for one of Chicago’s most beloved restaurant brands during a high-growth phase. She previously served as Vice President, Talent & HR at the same company, where she scaled HR systems and culture to support expansion into new markets.
Earlier, Courtney ran her own consulting practice, Courtney Martinez Consulting, where she advised small to mid-sized hospitality businesses on building resilient HR strategies. Prior to that, she was Vice President of Talent & Human Resources at Houlihan’s Restaurants, Inc., overseeing people strategy for 90+ corporate and franchise locations across multiple brands, including J. Gilbert’s and Bristol Seafood + Steak.
She also held senior HR roles at DineEquity, supporting IHOP and Applebee’s franchise operations, and began her career in HR leadership roles at First National Mortgage and Corestaff Services.
Courtney’s appointment marks a continued commitment by Southwind to foster a strong and unified team culture while scaling its service-driven businesses across North America.
About Southwind
Southwind is a leading U.S.-based home services company and the operational backbone behind trusted brands like 1-800-GOT-JUNK?, You Move Me, DreamLawn, Shack Shine, and Fountain Comfort Group. Headquartered in Kansas City, Southwind operates in over 23 states and is known for its commitment to delivering world-class experiences to customers and employees alike.
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