Jennifer Barrera, president and CEO of the California Chamber of Commerce, this week announced the promotion of several team members for their outstanding work on behalf of CalChamber members.
Karen Mendoza has been named executive vice president for business services, after having served as a senior vice president since 2023 and more than a decade with the organization.
Hilda Watson, vice president of human resources, was named senior vice president for human resources.
Three CalChamber policy advocates were also promoted:
- Ashley Hoffman has been named vice president and deputy chief of staff for advocacy;
- Robert Moutrie will serve as vice president for advocacy; and
- Ronak Daylami will serve as vice president for advocacy focusing on privacy, cybersecurity, and emerging technologies.
“CalChamber’s members have been well served by the outstanding work of Karen, Hilda, Ashley, Robert, and Ronak,” said Barrera. “Their new leadership roles will expand their value in our mission to serve as a key voice for business in California.”
Policy Advocates
The promoted policy advocates played key roles in the successful legislative year recently completed and victories in past years.
Hoffman, a senior policy advocate since January 2024, joined CalChamber in August 2020 as a policy advocate. Throughout her time at CalChamber, Hoffman has led CalChamber’s advocacy on labor and employment, workers’ compensation and regulatory reform issues.
Moutrie, a senior policy advocate since January 2024, joined the CalChamber team in March 2019 as a policy advocate. He leads advocacy on occupational safety, tourism, insurance, legal reform, immigration and unemployment insurance, as well as representing employer interests on education issues.
Daylami, an experienced attorney, joined CalChamber in March 2022 as a policy advocate specializing in privacy issues, quickly expanding to include cybersecurity and emerging technologies, as well as the legislative and regulatory framework for the ever-evolving field of artificial intelligence.
Business Services/Human Resources
Mendoza served as senior vice president of business services since October 2023. She is responsible for planning and overseeing the daily administrative, operational and technological functions of the departments within the Business Services Division. Her role also involves optimizing CalChamber operating capabilities and employing strategies to grow revenue, expand market share, deliver the best customer experience possible, maximize customer/member satisfaction, and drive innovation.
Watson joined the CalChamber team in November 2014 as a senior human resources generalist, moving up to positions of increasing responsibility in the HR Department. She oversees all aspects of CalChamber staff management, including recruitment strategy, policy administration, employee relations, benefits, compensation, organizational development, training and office services.