Abercrombie names Starbucks veteran as head of HR

By

Jennifer Braun

Published
Jan 28, 2021

Abercrombie & Fitch Co. announced on Wednesday the appointment of Starbucks veteran Holly May as its chief human resources officer. 

In this role, May will head all global human resources functions and strategies for the specialty retailer of apparel and accessories, including talent management and leadership development, diversity and inclusion, compensation and benefits, and more. 

In a news statement, Abercrombie CEO, Fran Horowitz, noted that Holly’s “extensive senior HR experience across a diverse group of publicly traded companies" made her a valuable addition to the team. 

Most recently, May served as the senior vice president of global total rewards and service delivery, at Starbucks. In that role, she managed over 100 associates across the company, as well as consulted on the strategic direction of Starbucks’ global compensation and benefits portfolio.

Prior to her time at Starbucks, May served in human resources leadership roles at ING, Voya Financial, and Visa Inc.

“Holly’s innovative nature, passion for people, and commitment to aligning with global business objectives to drive success will be instrumental to our progress – particularly as we continue to enhance our talent management, global capabilities and diversity and inclusion efforts,” said Horowitz. 

Abercrombie & Fitch Co is the parent company of the iconic Abercrombie & Fitch brand and The Hollister brand. 

The company operates approximately 730 stores under these brands across North America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East, as well as their respective e-commerce sites. 

Earlier this month, it forecasted holiday-quarter net sales to decline between 5 and 7 percent. Despite strong online demand, temporary store closures and Covid-19 restrictions will have a negative impact on results.