Bio
Rich Smith serves as Chief Human Resources Officer at Hazelden Betty Ford, bringing more than 20 years of senior human resources leadership across healthcare, pharmaceuticals, and complex, mission‑driven organizations. A people‑first executive and trusted advisor, Rich is known for leading large‑scale organizational change and aligning talent strategy with business and care delivery goals.
Prior to joining Hazelden Betty Ford, Rich spent 15 years at Kaiser Permanente, where he held multiple executive roles, including Vice President of Human Resources Strategy & Management and Vice President of Human Resources for the Northwest Region. In these roles, Rich oversaw enterprise HR strategy, workforce analytics, labor and employee relations, and leadership development across large, unionized healthcare systems.
Earlier in his career, Rich held senior human resources leadership roles at Pfizer, supporting global operations and leading several HR centers of excellence. Across his career, Rich has guided mergers and integrations, organizational redesign, and culture‑shaping initiatives, with a consistent focus on trust, inclusion, and developing leaders.
Rich holds a Juris Doctor degree, cum laude, from Quinnipiac University, along with an MBA and bachelor's degree from the University of Oklahoma. Rich is deeply committed to advancing Hazelden Betty Ford's mission by fostering a culture where caregivers are supported, leaders are developed, and people can do their best work in service of recovery.
