In one of the most complex arenas of workforce management, where tens of thousands of employees, global operations and rapid industry shifts converge, standing out requires more than policy and process. It requires human insight, strategic vision and courageous culture-building. That’s precisely where Ola Snow has made her mark as CHRO of Cardinal Health.
With responsibility for the company’s human resources, diversity, equity & inclusion (DEI), environment, health & safety, facilities and more, Ola occupies one of the most pivotal leadership roles in the organisation. Her tenure reflects a remarkable blend of operational scale and people-centric strategy.
From DEI Leader to Global HR Strategist
Ola joined Cardinal Health in 2001 and over time held roles including Senior Vice President of Human Resources for the Medical segment, and Chief Diversity Officer. In October 2018, Cardinal Health formally appointed her as CHRO, recognising her operational leadership and vision for talent strategy.
Her earlier roles had already seen her leading major mergers and acquisitions in the HR function, including the acquisition of Cordis, giving her deep exposure to change, integration and scaling human capital operations.
What sets Ola apart is her dual orientation: she is both a steward of the business and a champion of the people. From overseeing talent attraction and retention to building safe, inclusive and high-performing environments, Ola’s leadership elevates HR from support function to strategic partner.
Human Capital at Healthcare Scale
Cardinal Health is a massive enterprise, distributing pharmaceuticals, medical devices and services globally, with tens of thousands of employees. Navigating HR at that scale is no small feat. For Ola, the challenge has been to ensure that the organisation’s people strategy is as agile and resilient as the business itself.
Under her leadership, the HR function has looked beyond traditional staffing and focused on workforce preparedness, DEI, safety and wellbeing. Ola has emphasised the importance of creating a workplace where talented and passionate people are eager to join, ready to contribute, and seeking to build their careers and thrive.
The emphasis on safety, inclusion and culture-building is particularly relevant in a healthcare supply chain environment, where human error can have profound consequences, and employee wellbeing must be embedded in the organisation’s DNA.
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion as Strategic Advantage
Before becoming CHRO, Ola had already led the company’s DEI strategy as Chief Diversity Officer. In that capacity, her teams defined talent needs, led total rewards, acquisition, talent management, and corporate HR business partners globally.
Her passion for DEI is also personal and sustained. She serves as co-executive sponsor for the DEI Council and advisor for the Black and African-American Racial Equity Cabinet at Cardinal Health.
For Ola, diversity isn’t a “nice to have”, it’s a strategic imperative. She often speaks about how diverse teams bring many lenses to challenge the status quo, drive innovation and reflect the communities the business serves. This mindset has helped reposition HR at Cardinal Health as a key growth lever rather than merely a compliance function.
Culture, Safety and the Future of Work
In recent years, Ola’s scope has expanded. The HR agenda at Cardinal Health now includes critical areas such as environmental health & safety, facilities, security and aviation, underscoring her role as a holistic steward of the company’s “people environment.”
Under her leadership, the HR team is addressing emergent trends in the future of work, hybrid and remote models, continuous learning, mental wellbeing, workforce analytics and the gig economy.
Though the healthcare supply-chain may appear traditional, Cardinal Health, in Ola’s view, must stay ahead of talent supply disruptions, regulatory shifts and evolving employee expectations.
Her leadership emphasis is on resilience, building a workforce that is responsive, engaged and aligned with the organisation’s mission of “improving people’s lives every day.”
A Legacy and a Look Ahead
A recent announcement from Cardinal Health shows that Ola plans to retire in February 2026 after nearly 25 years with the company. That impending transition is in itself a testament to her strategic focus on succession planning and talent pipeline, another key HR capability.
While her tenure will draw to a close, the imprint of her leadership will persist: stronger HR systems, a more inclusive culture, deeper talent capabilities and a broader definition of what HR at scale looks like.
For those watching the HR leadership horizon into 2025 and beyond, Ola Snow stands out not only for what she has accomplished but for how she has reframed the role of HR in one of America’s major healthcare firms. Her ability to navigate complexity, champion people and align human capital with business strategy sets her firmly in the “leaders to watch” category.
Why Ola Snow Deserves a Spot
Here are few reasons why Ola Snow deserves a spot in this issue:
- Scale & Complexity: Leading HR at an enterprise with global operations and multi-domain functions (HR + DEI + EHS + Security) demands rare strategic capability.
- People & Purpose: Her values-driven focus, on inclusive culture, talent career growth, and workforce readiness, aligns HR with purpose and productivity.
- Strategic Impact: By treating HR as a growth lever rather than cost centre, Ola drives business outcomes through talent, culture and organisational readiness.
- Succession & Legacy: Her leadership in succession planning and talent development positions the organisation for the future beyond her own tenure.
In short, when healthcare firms, service businesses and global organisations ask what people-strategy looks like at scale, the playbook being written at Cardinal Health under Ola Snow is one worth reading.
About Cardinal Health
Cardinal Health, headquartered in Dublin, Ohio, is a global healthcare services and products company that distributes pharmaceuticals, manufactures medical and laboratory products and operates a broad health-services infrastructure. The company’s customer-focused mission drives its emphasis on people, safety and innovation.
Company Details
- Company Name: Cardinal Health
- Founding Year: 1971
- Office Location: Corporate Office, 7000 Cardinal Place, Dublin, OH 43017
- Official Website: https://www.cardinalhealth.com/
- Industry/ Sector: Hospitals and Health Care
Leader’s Profile
- Name of the Featured Leader: Ola Snow
- Designation: Chief Human Resources Officer