Executive Spotlight: Who Is Holly May, Petco's Chief Human Resources Officer? (2027)
Holly May is the Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) of Petco Health and Wellness Company, the pet retailer. Petco announced her appointment in February 2024, effective February 4, after she served as executive vice president and global CHRO of Walgreens Boots Alliance.
Important update: in a Form 8-K filed July 17, 2026, Petco said she told CEO Joel Anderson on July 13, 2026 that she had decided to resign for personal reasons. She was expected to stay on during a transition until a mutually agreed date, and the company had started a search for a successor. We found no announcement of that date or of a successor.
This page uses public professional information only.
Current role and company
Petco's own leadership pages were not used for this page. The role is confirmed by Petco's 2024 appointment announcement, her 2025 Milken Institute conference bio, and the 2026 SEC filing, which still calls her Petco's Chief Human Resources Officer while describing her planned departure.
- TitleChief Human Resources Officer, Petco Health and Wellness Company, Inc. (SEC 8-K, July 2026).
- AppointedEffective February 4, 2024, per a Pet Age report dated February 13, 2024.
- StatusResignation notice given July 13, 2026; transition date to be agreed; successor search under way (SEC 8-K filed July 17, 2026).
- BasePetco's National Support Center in San Diego (Pet Age).
- EducationWellesley College; Master of Finance, A.B. Freeman School of Business, Tulane University (Milken bio).
Career path
- Early HR leadership. FashionUnited reports she held HR leadership roles at ING, Voya Financial and Visa Inc. No dates are given.
- Starbucks. She was a senior vice president overseeing global rewards and HR service delivery, advising the board and executive team on compensation and benefits and managing more than 100 staff, per FashionUnited.
- Abercrombie & Fitch. She was named Chief Human Resources Officer, reporting to CEO Fran Horowitz, with responsibility for talent, leadership development, diversity and inclusion, compensation and benefits, and culture.
- Walgreens Boots Alliance. She was executive vice president and global CHRO, leading global HR and ESG functions for over 300,000 employees, according to her Milken bio.
- Petco. Named CHRO effective February 4, 2024. Her Milken bio says she began her career at Petco working in veterinary hospitals, pet care centers and distribution centers.
What she is known for
- Global HR at scale. Leading HR and ESG for a workforce of more than 300,000 at Walgreens Boots Alliance, per her bio.
- Returning to Petco as CHRO. Petco's announcement tied her role to an HR strategy meant to drive profitable growth and strong performance, linked to the company's mission for pets, pet parents and its employees, which Petco calls partners.
- Focus areas. Her Milken bio lists employee wellbeing, mental health, disability representation and inclusive workplaces as areas of expertise.
Leadership style and philosophy
We did not find a transcript or interview in her own words, so we do not attribute a philosophy to her. Her speaker bio describes her as leading a people-first HR and Communications strategy that supports Petco's business roadmap. That is a self-supplied bio that the Milken Institute says it did not independently verify.
Key numbers
These figures come from company or speaker-supplied statements, each with its period.
- Petco employees (partners)About 29,000 (company-reported, February 2024 announcement).
- Walgreens Boots Alliance workforce she led HR forOver 300,000 employees (her Milken bio, 2025).
- Starbucks teamMore than 100 HR staff (FashionUnited, on her Abercrombie & Fitch appointment).
What to watch next
Worth tracking: Petco's announcement of her departure date and of a new CHRO, and where May goes next.
Questions people ask
Who is Holly May?
She is the Chief Human Resources Officer of Petco and a former global CHRO of Walgreens Boots Alliance and CHRO of Abercrombie & Fitch.
Is Holly May still Petco's CHRO?
Petco's July 17, 2026 SEC filing says she gave notice of her resignation on July 13, 2026 but would stay through a transition date to be agreed. We found no later announcement of her departure date or a successor.
When did she join Petco as CHRO?
Her appointment was effective February 4, 2024, according to a Pet Age report dated February 13, 2024.
What did she do before Petco?
She was executive vice president and global CHRO of Walgreens Boots Alliance, and earlier held HR roles at Abercrombie & Fitch, Starbucks, Visa, Voya Financial and ING.
Where did she study?
Wellesley College, then a Master of Finance at Tulane University's A.B. Freeman School of Business.
Sources
- SEC Form 8-K, Item 5.02 (Petco, filed July 17, 2026) · Resignation notice, transition, successor search
- Milken Institute: Holly May (Global Conference 2025) · Bio, career, education, 300,000-employee figure, hero photo
- Pet Age: Petco Health & Wellness Names Holly May as Chief Human Resources Officer (Feb 13, 2024) · Appointment, effective date, about 29,000 partners
- FashionUnited: Abercrombie & Fitch names Holly May as Chief Human Resource Officer · Abercrombie & Fitch role, Starbucks and earlier roles
Facts were read from the linked pages on October 31, 2026. The SEC filing was read directly; other pages were read through a fetch tool that returns summaries, so confirm details on the original pages. Her status may have changed since the July 2026 filing. The hero photo is the Milken Institute speaker headshot, centered on a card. This page covers public professional information only.
Top photo: Milken Institute (Global Conference 2025 speaker page)