Changemaker Series: Jen Miller

Welcome to Changemaker Stories from LOCAL - an ongoing series of personal interviews with leaders driving change across every industry and discipline. Because change shouldn’t mean going it alone.

This week, we caught up with Jen Miller, a lifelong learner whose impressive career journey has taken her to Home Depot, Delta, Coca-Cola, and now IHG. We discussed the power of curiosity, the critical role of engaging stakeholders early in the change process, and the “wellness treats” that help her stay at the top of her game.

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I've always had a passion for technology—something I discovered pretty early on in college. I spent about seven years at Home Depot, where I carried a pager, rebooted servers, and learned how to collaborate with architects and engineers.

But over time, I realized I wanted to get closer to the user experience—closer to the people in our stores who are actually receiving, handling, and interacting with our products every day.

That’s when I made the move to Delta. At Home Depot, I’d been in the IT department, focused squarely on technology. But at Delta, I shifted into marketing, working on digital interfaces—things like search, affiliate, and other channels that drive traffic to the site. And that’s when I started to notice: this thing called social media was really starting to take off.

That really sparked my passion for social media. I ended up spending about ten years in that space, eventually moving into a global role at Coca-Cola. There, I helped teams across brands and markets understand the power of social platforms and social listening to drive deeper connections and smarter decisions.

After my time at Coca-Cola, I spent about five years freelancing and consulting, much of it during COVID. That chapter gave me space to reflect and reset, and ultimately, I decided to go all in on customer experience.

That’s when I stepped into my current role at IHG, focusing on digital guest experiences. I look across the full journey—from post-booking to checkout—identifying the key touchpoints that shape how people experience our brand. It’s not just about the guest; it’s about creating a seamless, rewarding experience for our colleagues and hotel owners too. Ultimately, we aim for that win-win-win: better outcomes for guests, teams, and the business.

It’s been really rewarding to deepen my product knowledge and get a clearer picture of what it actually takes to roll something out—from change management to driving adoption across the business. I’ve also loved staying connected to the world of travel and experiences, which is a real passion area for me.

I’m guided by listening, asking questions, and staying genuinely curious. It’s nothing revolutionary, but it’s always been core to how I work. I still remember one of my first bosses saying, “Jen, you’re a great question asker.” That stuck with me—probably because it aligned so closely with my values.

I love to learn, and that mindset has served me well. It’s helped me build a foundation of, “Let’s figure this out together.” The key is listening—both to users and to business needs—and ensuring the solution works for everyone.

It’s about continuous learning and improvement, not just setting something and forgetting it. We tweak and refine along the way to make sure we’re always evolving.

“Change is all about education.”

No matter the role I’ve been in, I’ve found that it takes both curiosity and a commitment to education—really connecting with users and helping bring them along on the journey.

One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned, especially in my recent work across change management, is the value of over-communication. Internally and externally, it’s about clearly sharing what we’re seeing, what we’re hearing, the analysis we’re doing, and the point of view we’re forming—then opening the door for others to weigh in. It’s that shared input that makes the work better.

It’s crucial to ensure everyone is on the same page and coming along on the journey. If you skip that education upfront, you end up paying for it later. You might crash and burn, only to realize, “I should’ve done this from the start.” Getting everyone aligned early makes all the difference.

When change is working, you start to see people lean in. They want to connect, engage, and learn. They’re the ones asking questions. That’s a clear indicator that you’ve got real engagement—and that’s when you know the message is resonating.

If there’s a deafening silence, it’s a sign that things aren’t working. More education, curiosity, and listening are needed.

At IHG, we've been really intentional about managing our stakeholders, which might sound obvious, but it's critical to map this out at the beginning of a project.

It’s not always glamorous, but understanding what's in it for each stakeholder, what kind of organization they’re in, the complexities of their role, and even past relationships with their team is key.

Being thoughtful about these factors allows us to tailor our communication strategy and ensure we’re engaging with them effectively throughout the process. It’s not just about identifying them but being very intentional about updating and engaging with each group.

Different stakeholders require different cadences, formats, and styles of communication. It takes a lot of work, but I’d say that’s the gold standard we should all aspire to—tailoring our approach to meet the needs of each group to ensure they’re fully aligned and engaged throughout the process.

If I could give advice to my younger self, it would be to really think about your stakeholders throughout your career. Do you have sponsors? Do you have mentors? Are you proactively sharing updates on what you’re working on, even the behind-the-scenes efforts?

You might be a hard worker and care deeply about your role, but it’s equally important to keep the people who care about your growth in the loop. Bring them along on your journey—they’re the ones who can help amplify your impact and support you along the way.

When I need to reset, I love to unwind with a massage at Tiny House Massage in Cabbagetown, Atlanta. It’s a cozy spot that always helps me relax. I’m really into what I call “wellness treats”, spending time in saunas and floating tanks. The experience of floating in a pitch-black tank, immersed in stillness, is incredibly comforting. It’s like being in a quiet, meditative space where you can truly disconnect.

I’ve heard that Tim Ferriss learned languages quickly in float tanks because the deep relaxation opens up the brain in a unique way. It’s amazing how such simple practices can help you reset both mentally and physically.

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