Top 10: Chief HR Officers in Healthcare

Healthcare organisations are placing greater emphasis on strategic human resources leadership as they navigate workforce shortages, digital transformation and the growing demand for high-quality patient care.

As healthcare systems evolve, leading organisations are investing in their people through talent development, workforce planning, employee wellbeing, diversity and inclusion, leadership development and innovative workforce strategies to attract and retain skilled professionals.

At the same time, the sector faces the challenge of building resilient, future-ready workforces while adapting to changing care models, regulatory requirements and rising expectations from employees, patients and communities.

Against this backdrop, Chief Human Resources Officers are playing a pivotal role in shaping organisational culture, driving transformation and ensuring healthcare organisations are equipped to deliver exceptional care.

Healthcare Digital ranks the Top 10 Chief HR Officers in the world's largest healthcare companies by revenues.

10. Kristen Mulholland

Company: Johnson & Johnson

Revenue: US$94.19bn

Title Since: 2024

As Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer at Johnson & Johnson, Kirsten leads the company's global human resources strategy, including talent, recruiting, inclusion, compensation, benefits and employee relations. 

Kristen joined Johnson & Johnson in 2005 and has held numerous HR leadership roles across MedTech, Innovative Medicine and corporate functions before becoming Chief Human Resources Officer in 2024. 

She earned a bachelor's degree from Tulane University and a master's degree in Organisational Development from Case Western Reserve University.

9. Michelle O’Hara

Michelle O'Hara is Chief Human Resources Officer at Humana, where she leads the company's enterprise talent strategy, culture and people programs as a member of the Executive Leadership Team.

Michelle joined Humana in 2025 after spending 15 years at SAIC, most recently serving as Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer, where she led talent strategy, organisational development, total rewards and culture transformation.

Earlier in her career, she held senior HR leadership roles at BearingPoint, Perot Systems and Booz Allen Hamilton and earned a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry.

8. Tanya McNally

Leading the company's human resources strategy, talent management, leadership development and employee engagement initiatives is Tanya McNally, Chief People Officer at Centene.

Tanya joined Centene in 2020 following the acquisition of WellCare, where she spent nearly a decade in progressively senior human resources leadership roles, including Vice President of Human Resources. 

Earlier in her career, she held HR positions at Citigroup and Lehman Brothers.

She earned a Bachelor of Science in Industrial and Labor Relations from Cornell University and a Master of Arts in Organisational Psychology from Columbia University.

7. Ryan Craig

Company: Elevance Health

Revenue: US$199.13bn 

Title Since: 2025 

Ryan Craig is Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer at Elevance Health, where he leads the company's global people strategy, talent management, organisational effectiveness, workforce strategy, employee experience, communications, brand and culture initiatives.

Ryan joined Elevance Health in 2024, serving as Chief Talent Officer, Chief Talent and Diversity Officer and Interim Chief Human Resources Officer before assuming his current role in 2025.

Previously, he held senior people leadership positions at Ralph Lauren and UnitedHealth Group.

6. Val Pitteroff

Company: Cardinal Health

Revenue: US$250.74bn

Title Since: 2026

As Chief Human Resources Officer at Cardinal Health, Val Pitteroff  leads the company's global human resources strategy, employee engagement, diversity and inclusion, communications, community relations and workplace operations.

Val has spent more than two decades at Cardinal Health, progressing through a series of HR leadership roles, including Senior Vice President, Vice President of Human Resources and Director of Talent Management. 

Val earned a Bachelor of Arts in Administrative Studies from the University of California, Riverside.

5. Nicole Jones

The Executive Vice President, Chief Administrative Officer and Chief Human Resources Officer at The Cigna Group is Nicole Jones, overseeing human resources, government affairs, marketing, communications and other enterprise functions.

Nicole has been a member of the company's Enterprise Leadership Team since 2011 and has held several senior legal and executive leadership roles since rejoining the organisation in 2006. 

She earned a bachelor's degree from Fordham University and a Juris Doctor from New York University.

4. Samantha Hammock

Sam Hammock is Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer at Cencora, where she leads the company's talent strategy, culture and people initiatives in support of long-term business objectives.

With more than 25 years of human resources leadership experience, Sam previously served as Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer at Verizon and spent more than 14 years at American Express, ultimately serving as Head of Global Talent and Learning.

She holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Michigan State University and an MBA from Wayne State University.

3. Heidi Capozzi

Company: CVS Health

Revenue: US$402.1bn

Title Since: 2024

As Executive Vice President and Chief People Officer at CVS Health, Heidi Capozzi leads the company's human resources, labor relations, compensation, benefits and corporate social responsibility functions.

Before joining CVS Health in 2024, Heidi served as Executive Vice President and Global Chief People Officer at McDonald's, overseeing global talent and people strategy. Earlier, she spent more than 11 years at Boeing, including as Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer.

She holds degrees from Oberlin College and the University of Minnesota.

2. LeAnn Smith

Leading the company's global human resources strategy, talent development, workforce planning and organisational transformation initiatives is LeAnn Smith, Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer at McKesson.

Since joining McKesson in 2021 as Senior Vice President of Talent Management and Development, LeAnn has focused on strengthening leadership development, employee engagement, succession planning and organisational effectiveness before assuming her current role as Chief Human Resources Officer in 2022.

Prior to McKesson, she served as Chief People Leader for Walmart's Global Corporate Functions, partnering with senior executives on corporate transformation and talent initiatives. Earlier, she spent more than 20 years at Accenture, holding leadership positions including U.S. Midwest Regional HR Lead, North America Talent Strategy Lead and Global Talent Strategy Discipline Lead.

Her expertise spans talent management, workforce strategy, career architecture, organisational design, performance management, HR technology and training and development. LeAnn holds a Bachelor of Science from Saint Louis University and an Executive Master's in Human Resource Management from Cornell University.

1. Stephanie Fehr

Company: UnitedHealthCare

Revenue: US$449.71bn

Title Since: 2017

Stephanie Fehr is an accomplished human resources executive with more than 25 years of experience leading talent, organisational development and people strategy across global organisations.

She served as Chief People Officer at UnitedHealthcare since November 2017, where she oversees strategic initiatives in talent management, succession planning, leadership development and instructional design to strengthen organisational performance and employee growth.

Before joining UnitedHealthcare, Stephanie spent nearly 18 years at Apple, holding several senior leadership positions, including Vice President of Retail Talent, Senior Director of Americas and China People Teams and Director of US and Canada People Teams.

In these roles, she led human resources, recruiting and organisational development for Apple's retail operations, helping to build high-performing teams across multiple regions.

Stephanie earned a Bachelor of Arts in English from St. Olaf College and a Master of Arts in Human Resource Development and Organisation Development from the University of St. Thomas, providing a strong foundation for her leadership in human capital management.