NetApp ropes in former Pure Storage exec as CHRO

U.S.-based technology company NetApp announced the appointment of Alessandra Yockelson as Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) on Tuesday. Yockelson will report to CEO George Kurian. 

Yockelson joins the company with decades of experience and expertise in leading global talent organizations, driving operational excellence, and fostering cultures of performance and accountability. 

In this role, she will lead all aspects of people and organizational strategy, including talent development and growth, performance management, team engagement, recruiting, Diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) and compensation and benefits. 

In her most recent role before joining NetApp, Yockelson worked with Pure Storage, where she served as Chief Human Resources Officer since August 2021 and led organizational change efforts that resulted in global performance scaling. She also held leadership roles at Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Diageo, and Philips. 

Yockelson currently serves on the board of directors for Vista Equity Partners portfolio company iCIMS, where she provides strategic insight and counsel to support continuous innovation and operational excellence for its next phase of growth.

"I am delighted to welcome Alessandra to NetApp as we continue to transform our company and culture to accelerate growth and deliver value to our employees, customers, partners, and shareholders," said George Kurian, CEO at NetApp. The company has recently been recognized in Newsweek's World's Most Trustworthy Companies and America's Greenest Companies, as well as Silicon Valley Business Journal's Top 50 Corporate Philanthropists.

"NetApp has a strong reputation for its technology leadership, customer focus, and collaborative culture. I look forward to working with the talented and diverse team at NetApp to enable our people to grow and thrive in a dynamic market," said Yockelson, who was awarded a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Business Administration and Management with distinction.

Originally from Brazil, Yockelson is fluent in English, Spanish, and Portuguese and has lived on three continents, driving innovation across the technology, consumer goods, life sciences, automotive, and financial services sectors.