Hear why Lisa, Sr. HR Director at PetSmart, has enjoyed #LifeAtPetSmart for 20+ years

Jan 29, 20212 min read

For two decades now, Lisa has been making a positive impact on the HR side of #LifeAtPetSmart. We chatted about her journey along the way and some of the stand-out moments from over the years she's been part of the pack. Read on below to learn more about the lovely, Lisa!

Tell us a bit about your PetSmart journey—where did you start, where are you now, and how did you get there?

Lisa: I actually started as a temporary associate. I was new to Arizona and connected with a temporary agency during my job search. I was lucky to get my first and only temp assignment here in a staffing coordinator role in what is considered the talent acquisition team today. I was offered a full time role as the staffing coordinator a week later. My current role is the Sr Director of HR Shared Services. The journey has been an incredible one through several different roles within the HR team. I feel it was a combination of great leaders who took the time to teach and/or take a risk on me in a new role and hard work.

What do you enjoy about your #LifeAtPetSmart?

Lisa: I feel fortunate to be part of a great company. It has been an incredible journey where I personally have learned and have grown a ton and have had the opportunity to work with some incredible people along the way. I love that there is always a challenge and never an opportunity to get bored. I love the retail industry and have always said that I love that there is an “and” with our business because it is more than just sales, it is also about people, families and their pets.

Any favorite stories or moments from over the years at PetSmart that you’d like to share?

Lisa: There are a ton of great moments and fun stories from the past 20 years and even some challenging ones that I am glad we lived through, but know we learned from. A few that stick out the most:

being selected as the first and only PHO leadership in excellence award winner and being able to attend circle of excellence
doing a system cutover on Christmas Day because that was the only day we could take SAP down for a full day because it is the one day of the year that all stores and DCs are closed
having the support of tuition reimbursement to obtain my Masters in HR
I remember the incredible milestone of celebrating the one millionth adoption and then being amazed about how quickly we were able to continue to grow those numbers.