Misty Gregarek

In previous roles in human resources and as chief talent officer, Misty Gregarek’s job was to put the right people in the right places for company success. The value of good people remains one of her core beliefs now that she’s in the role of president and COO at National Corporate Housing.

“The greatest leadership lesson I’ve learned is to make sure I surround myself with great people,” she said. “People who inspire, challenge, and motivate me with their energy and ideas. People who will offer new and different perspectives on the challenges we face as a business. You are only as good as those you spend time with. Strong team members make strong teams who continually improve one another and themselves. You have to constantly look to make sure you have the right people in the right seats.”

National Corporate Housing provides temporary, fully furnished housing throughout the United States, Canada, Asia Pacific, Europe and the Gulf region. National’s unique business model of high-touch customer service with customized housing solutions provides a single-source solution for temporary living, including furnished apartments, international serviced apartments, rental assistance services, destination services and insurance housing.

Gregarek started at National in 2006 as a human resources manager. Over the next 15 years, she took on roles of increasing responsibility in the company, from vice president of human resources, to senior vice president of human resources, to chief talent officer and eventually, to her current role as president and chief operating officer.

“Misty has become the ultimate expert in recognizing the potential in great candidates and employees,” her team said. Gregarek often says difficult times, such as economic recessions and the global pandemic, have pushed her to dig deep and find the best in herself and others, her team said.

Gregarek is especially proud of National’s industry-leading low employee turnover. In 2021, during a highly tumultuous year worldwide, National’s turnover was around 27%. In our industry, 40% — in non-pandemic conditions — is the norm. The pandemic brought 70%-80% turnover rates for some other hospitality companies.

Gregarek’s goals are for National to be an employer of choice, be a thought leader in its industry and drive business gains. Her belief is that the days of an entire career spanning just one department are long gone, and current and future business leaders will need to understand and have experience in many different roles and departments to succeed.

Gregarek has grown National from a few dozen employees in one location to hundreds of employees worldwide. She has helped shape the launch of additional lines of business and successful acquisitions to grow the company’s portfolio.

Under her leadership, the company has won numerous awards for customer satisfaction, guest satisfaction, employee satisfaction, sustainability and green practices, diversity and inclusion and being an employer of choice, to name a few.

Gregarek takes pride and personal satisfaction in seeing that she made the right call in hiring and placing people where they could thrive.

“Misty feels that being able to persevere through a constantly evolving landscape is a rare skill, and she’s proud to have passed on that skill to the next generation of National leaders,” her team said.