Petco Health & Wellness Names Holly May as Chief Human Resources Officer

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Press release: Petco

Petco Health and Wellness Company, Inc. recently announced it has appointed Holly May as chief human resources officer (CHRO), effective February 4. In this role, May is responsible for driving an HR strategy that delivers profitable growth and outstanding performance, and is grounded in Petco’s mission to improve lives for pets, pet parents and Petco partners.

“Our knowledgeable and passionate partners (employees) are Petco’s most valuable asset and differentiator — everything we do begins with their expertise and ability to deliver hands-on pet care,” said Petco CEO Ron Coughlin. “Holly brings an impressive track record of driving comprehensive HR strategies that align with business objectives and deliver transformational growth. On behalf of the entire Petco leadership team, we look forward to working alongside her to continue supporting our 29,000 purpose-driven partners.”

May brings extensive expertise, and two decades of experience in human resources building innovative programs, policies and practices. She is a passionate supporter of fair and progressive HR policies, mental health and fostering inclusive workplaces that care for team members as whole people.

“Over the past week, I’ve had the pleasure of meeting many Petco partners, and I’ve directly observed their passion for taking care of pets and pet parents,” said May. “I look forward to helping this high-impact team further harness that passion to fuel both personal and business growth across the organization.”

Prior to joining Petco, May served as EVP & global CHRO for Walgreens Boots Alliance. She led all aspects of the organization’s global HR and environmental, social and governance (ESG) functions — supporting hundreds of thousands of employees. Previously, she held executive leadership roles at Starbucks, Abercrombie & Fitch, Visa and more.

May is based at Petco’s National Support Center in San Diego. She graduated from Wellesley College and earned her master of finance degree from the A.B. Freeman School of Business at Tulane University.