NetApp Appoints Debra McCowan as Chief Human Resources Officer
Veteran HR executive with experience supporting global organizations through growth and transformation joins
NetApp’s leadership team
NetApp (NASDAQ: NTAP), the data authority for hybrid cloud, today announced the appointment of Debra McCowan as senior vice
president and chief human resources officer (CHRO) at NetApp, reporting to CEO George Kurian.
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Debra McCowan, Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO), NetApp (Photo: Business Wire)
McCowan brings many years of experience in running global HR organizations to NetApp’s leadership team. As CHRO, she will work
to ensure that NetApp’s people strategy aligns with its business strategy. She will lead all aspects of human resources, including
talent acquisition, talent development and learning, business partnerships, organizational development and effectiveness,
compensation and benefits, diversity, inclusion and belonging, and operations and systems.
“Debra has demonstrated her ability to provide leadership in aligning HR and people strategy with business strategy in companies
experiencing rapid growth and transformation,” said George Kurian, CEO at NetApp. “Her understanding of global businesses and skill
at partnering with executive teams and across organizations will be key to driving a high-performance organization that will help
fuel the next era of growth.”
“NetApp’s rapid growth as one of the world’s leading technology companies offers an exciting opportunity,” said Debra McCowan,
CHRO at NetApp. “I look forward to partnering with the executive team to develop a progressive and aligned global HR strategy and
to creating an environment where talent and culture continue to be foundational and a driving factor in the success of NetApp.”
“Debra McCowan will be replacing Gwen McDonald, who is retiring after 14 years leading the NetApp HR team,” said Kurian. “Gwen’s
leadership built a strong foundation for NetApp that sustained us through transformation. We all thank her for her tireless work on
behalf of the company and wish her well on her retirement.”
About Debra McCowan
McCowan is recognized as a change agent with a clear business focus and the ability to build strong relationships across
organizations. Most recently, McCowan served as the executive vice president and CHRO at Equinix, where she developed a clear
global HR strategy and service delivery model amid growth and a changing business environment. She has also held executive
leadership roles at Accelerance, Avago Technologies, and Hitachi Data Systems. McCowan earned her bachelor’s degree in English
literature at La Trobe University in Melbourne, Australia, and her post-graduate degree in human resources and industrial
management at the University of Melbourne.
About NetApp
NetApp is the data authority for hybrid cloud. We provide a full range of hybrid cloud data services that simplify management of
applications and data across cloud and on-premises environments to accelerate digital transformation. Together with our partners,
we empower global organizations to unleash the full potential of their data to expand customer touchpoints, foster greater
innovation, and optimize their operations. For more information, visit
www.netapp.com. #DataDriven
NETAPP, the NETAPP logo, and the marks listed at
http://www.netapp.com/TM are trademarks of NetApp, Inc. Other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective
owners.
Press Contact:
NetApp
Madge Miller, 1-408-419-5263
ng-uspr@netapp.com
or
Investor Contact:
NetApp
Kris Newton, 1-408-822-3312
Kris.Newton@netapp.com
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181015005180/en/