Milliken & Company names Bethany Smith CHRO

Milliken & Company has announced the appointment of Bethany Smith as its senior vice president and chief human resources officer, effective February 12. Smith has succeeded Craig Haydamack who departed from the company. In this role, Smith will be responsible for overseeing all HR matters on behalf of the diversified global manufacturer. 

Before being appointed to the role, she served as interim chief human resources officer for Milliken's Corporate Support functions since October 2023. In this role, she was the HR business partner to the senior leaders of these functions—all while being an active participant in Milliken's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion program. 

Other previously held roles included HR Vice President for Milliken's Healthcare Division, HR Director for Milliken's Textile Business, and Director of Talent Acquisition and Learning and Development.

Smith began her career at Milliken in manufacturing, working in three different plants within Milliken's Textile and Floor Covering divisions. She was part of the project team responsible for rebuilding Live Oak Plant after the 1995 fire. Although half of her career has been devoted to Milliken, Smith also spent fifteen years with MAU Workforce Solutions, providing HR support to numerous global manufacturing companies, including Milliken.