Walgreens loses chief human resources officer

Walgreens is losing yet another top executive — its chief human resources officer, Holly May.

May, who has held the role since October 2021, is leaving the Deerfield-based company for an “external opportunity” on the West Coast, according to an internal memo sent to employees Wednesday from new CEO Tim Wentworth and obtained by Crain’s Chicago Business. Friday will be May’s last day.

Sal Venegas, Walgreens’ senior vice president of global talent management, compensation and team member experience, will serve as interim chief human resources officer while Walgreens launches a search for a permanent replacement, according to Crain’s.

Walgreens spokesman Jim Cohn confirmed May’s departure, and that she is leaving for “another opportunity outside the company.”

May’s departure comes about a week after Walgreens notified employees that it was laying off over 260 workers, some 5% of its corporate workforce.

A day later, Bloomberg News reported that Walgreens Chief Medical Officer Kevin Ban and Chief of Staff to the CEO Luke Sauter were also both leaving the company.

The move is just one of a series of layoffs from the retailer. Back in May, Walgreens let go of over 500 high-ranking employees. Months later, the company announced it was closing an ecommerce center in Illinois, eliminating another 400 roles.

Related:Walgreens loses two executives as cost-cutting measures continue

Recent months have seen additional shakeups. Former CEO Roz Brewer left the company in September and was replaced by Wentworth in October. Additionally, Neal Sample was recently named chief information officer, replacing Hsiao Wang, who departed from the company in early October.

Walgreens is also still searching for a permanent chief financial officer after James Kehoe left the company in July after five years.