Naomi Miller
Naomi Miller, Director of People Systems at Mars Veterinary Health, is a seasoned Human Resources and People Systems executive based in the Denver Metropolitan Area, with deep expertise spanning HR information systems, operations, governance, and enterprise compliance. She is recognized for her ability to align people, processes, and technology to strengthen organizational effectiveness, enhance system integrity, and enable data-driven decision-making across complex, global environments. Her leadership is grounded in resilience, adaptability, and a consistent focus on operational excellence and continuous improvement.
Her professional journey reflects persistence, determination, and lived experience that shaped her career path. A single mother of two daughters, she began building her career early while balancing the demands of parenting and work, having her first child at 16 and her second at 18 before completing high school. She initially worked in assembly line roles, following in her mother’s footsteps, until a workplace injury to her wrist led to a temporary light-duty assignment in an office environment. There, she was introduced to HR functions such as severance packages and employee support processes, which sparked a lasting interest in human resources and ultimately shifted the trajectory of her career.
From that turning point, Naomi pursued entry-level HR opportunities while raising her children and beginning her education at the University of Phoenix, ultimately completing her degree while working remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic. Her career continued to evolve through progressive HR and HRIS leadership roles across organizations including Waste Connections, Trimble Inc., and VCA Animal Hospitals. After a challenging organizational acquisition, she made a courageous decision to leave without another role secured, which ultimately led her into HRIS and her current leadership path. Today, she leads enterprise people systems strategy, HR technology governance, integrations, and compliance at Mars Veterinary Health, while mentoring teams and driving scalable, people-centered solutions across the organization.
• Workday Pro Performance and Talent
• Workday Pro HCM
• Business Analytics
• University of Phoenix - BS, in Business, Business/Commerce, General
• Girls Who Code
• Girls in Technology
What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to my mom. She's Japanese and came from Okinawa, and when she arrived in the U.S., she didn't speak any English, but she pushed herself to get a job, finish school, and just do all the things that she needed to do. Lots of times, I would always feel like, well, if she could come and do all these things, I need to push myself. Another thing that pushed me is being a young mom. I have a sister who's 10 years older than me, and it was unfortunate for her that she became addicted to drugs at a young age. I was always afraid to be like her, or to turn out in that way, so I would always push myself to do better. She's drug-free now, and we're really close and we talk a lot. But that was one thing that would always get to me - being afraid to have the future that she put herself in.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
My best advice for young women is it's okay to switch. Whatever it is that you're passionate about, whatever it is that you're doing, it's okay to be unsure and to try new things. It's also okay to experience the bumps in the road or the roadblocks. They're going to happen, and just go with it. When you go with it, it's going to lead you on a path that you're supposed to be on. When I moved into HRIS, I just remembered that I was so uncomfortable in the HR role I was in. The company got acquired, and I just really wasn't liking the new organization. I wasn't comfortable, so I said I need to quit. I'm not doing the organization a benefit, they're not doing me any benefit, so I gave my notice without having any job. I was so afraid because I'm a single mom, I have two kids, I have no job coming up, and it led me to get the opportunity to get into HRIS.
Locations
Mars Veterinary Health
Denver, CO 80229