HR Moves: MassMutual, Petco, and Uber announce new HR leadership

What do a life insurance company, a pet store, and a rideshare platform have in common? They’ve all announced new HR hires since the start of 2024. Let’s take a look at these and other recent appointments.

Bumble. This week, the dating app announced multiple new leadership hires as part of a new growth strategy, including David Ard as CPO. Ard, who will lead Bumble’s hiring strategies and company culture efforts, spent the majority of his decades in HR at Gap, and was most recently SVP of employee success at Slack.

Disney Experiences. Janice Underwood, who previously led diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility efforts for the Office of Personnel Management, joined Disney Experiences as its VP of DE&I in January, the company said in a LinkedIn post. She’s responsible for managing all diversity and outreach practices for Disney’s parks and resorts, among other experiences.

Gap. Mattel’s former CPO, Amy Thompson, was named Gap’s new CPO in January, according to a press release. Thompson has 25 years of experience in HR, and previously worked at Toms, Starbucks, and Ticketmaster.

Impossible Foods. Emma Hutchens joined Impossible Foods as its new CPO this month, the company said in a press release. She brings more than 15 years of HR experience, having previously worked primarily in the spirits industry. Her appointment is part of a strategic shift at the company, which laid off 20% of its workforce in early 2023.

MassMutual. Cindy Ryan was appointed head of HR at MassMutual in early February, according to a press release. Ryan joins the insurer after nearly 25 years at Cigna Healthcare, most recently as CHRO, and oversees all HR functions, including talent acquisition, benefits, and DE&I.

Petco. Holly May took over as Petco’s CHRO in early February, the company announced. A retail veteran, having previously served as CHRO at Walgreens and Abercrombie & Fitch, she’s responsible for supporting the company’s 29,000 employees and driving HR strategy.

Uber. Oona King, Snap’s former VP of DE&I, joined Uber as its chief diversity officer in January. After serving as a member of Parliament in the UK House of Commons and an equalities advisor to British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, King pivoted to tech in 2016, working at YouTube and later Google, where she was director of diversity strategy.