Debra McCowan Chief Human Resources Officer, NetApp

NetApp, Inc. announced the appointment of Debra McCowan as SVP and chief human resources officer (CHRO), reporting to CEO George Kurian.

She brings many years of experience in running global HR organizations to NetApp’s leadership team. As CHRO, she will work to ensure that people strategy aligns with company’s 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 Kurian. “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 McCowan. “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.”

McCowan is recognized as a change agent with a clear business focus and the ability to build relationships across organizations. Most recently, she served as the EVP and CHRO at Equinix, where she developed a global HR strategy and service delivery model amid growth and a changing business environment. She has also held executive roles at Accelerance, Avago Technologies, and Hitachi Data Systems.

She 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.