Jamie Bentley

Assistant Chief Engineer, Walt Disney World Swan Resort

Emerging Hospitality Leader

Jamie Bentley, Assistant Chief Engineer, of the Walt Disney World Swan Resort is the Honoree for the Distinguished Leaders in Hospitality Awards in the Emerging Hospitality Leader category. Jamie is a rising star who has charted an inspiring career path throughout the hospitality industry.

With over 12 years of professional work experience, Jamie began her journey in hospitality with a focus in the housekeeping department, where she quickly rose through department ranks all the way up to Housekeeping Director and then Housekeeping Training and Hiring Manager at her property. Additionally, Jamie’s approach to leadership has always been rooted in empowerment, creating structure, and proven results. As a Housekeeping and Training Manager, she has successfully hired and onboarded more than 150 employees – building a high-performance team that achieved full compliance training within a year.

Recently, she made a bold career pivot to the Engineering department. In just nine short months, her impact has been nothing short of transformational. Upon accepting the role, the team has driven guest satisfaction scores for maintenance and upkeep from 64% to an impressive 79.4%, with a strong momentum towards breaking the 80% threshold.

Jamie is also an active member of the property’s Guest Service Satisfaction Committee, ensuring that the guest experience remains at the heart of every operational decision. Even in her new role, she continues to assist housekeeping leadership, by offering guidance on how to use the different job-related programs needed to operate and manage the department effectively. Furthermore, Jamie continues to mentor other team members by assisting them in resume preparation and offering interview skills training to others who are also trying to advance their careers.

Jamie is a shining example of what is possible within the hospitality industry: that with hard work, dedication, and unwavering effort, you can take your career anywhere you want to go.