Sweetwater Appoints Dr. Kristal Walker as Vice President of Employee Wellbeing

Sweetwater, the world's leading music technology and instrument retailer, today announced the appointment of Dr. Kristal Walker as Vice President of Employee Wellbeing. A learning, leadership and organizational development veteran with more than 15 years of experience working with high-growth companies, Walker will be responsible for driving various wellness initiatives for Sweetwater's internal brand as well as advancing its people culture strategy. She will report to Sweetwater's Chief People Officer and will be based out of the company's Fort Wayne campus.

"Employee wellbeing is the embodiment of our commitment to caring for our employees," said Chuck Surack, founder and CEO of Sweetwater. "Kristal will not only ensure that our employees have what they need to be professionally successful at Sweetwater, but also that they have access to the people and resources they need to help them be successful in the rest of their life."

With nearly two decades of experience in a number of HR and business leadership positions, Walker is an expert in personal and professional development, with a track record of transforming high-performing cultures. As a leader in people development, Walker has a knack for implementing technology to improve people and organizational performance from concept to reality. In her new role, Walker will be responsible for managing and improving the overall wellbeing portfolio and diversity and inclusion initiatives at Sweetwater, including working with the senior team to drive mental health initiatives and implementing special projects that support improving the holistic wellbeing of employees.

"Kristal brings an outstanding commitment to caring for people and helping them grow into the best versions of themselves," said Sweetwater Chief People Officer Jeff Ostermann. "Her focus on empowering people and compassion matches up perfectly with Sweetwater's over 40-year history of caring for our customers and employees. In order to be the best, we must hire the best—and the recent addition of Kristal to our human resources team helps reinforce our relentless commitment to customer and employee success."

Sweetwater's commitment to its employees has always been of critical importance to the company's culture. From providing free personal coaching and an on-site medical clinic, to a staff counselor that helps assist employees and their families, Sweetwater's people culture is centered around care and ensuring employees live well. Especially in today's world, Sweetwater is fully dedicated to creating a one-of-a-kind environment for its employees, one where there is access to executives and resources actively supporting their own personal and professional wellbeing and success.

"I feel a real connection to the Sweetwater mission of doing the right thing, especially during a time of incredible turmoil and change," said Walker. "In the 15+ years that I've been involved in human capital development, my personal mission has been to help people thrive personally and professionally. I look forward to continuing to build on Sweetwater's incredible mission and fostering an environment that people can thrive in. I truly believe that people are our best asset, and together we will continue to do great things at Sweetwater."

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