HR alert (I): Pet players appoint new executives across key business functions

Recent appointments and promotions span pet food, nutrition and retail, covering global leadership, commercial operations and regional management.

zooplus 

Munich-based online pet retailer zooplus has appointed 4 new leaders to its Executive Committee, taking up their positions between July and October 2026.

Richard Zubrik was the first to join as Chief Product & Technology Officer on 1 July. Josephine Hus followed on 14 September as Chief Transformation & Strategy Officer, while Piotr Haladus took up the role of Chief Sales Officer (CSO) on 1 October. Olof Darpö joined as Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) on 12 October.

Darpö and Haladus will divide the marketing and sales responsibilities previously held by Jonas Schultheiss, who joined zooplus in 2024 as Chief Marketing & Sales Officer. Schultheiss will leave the company after a transition period.

In his new role, Darpö will oversee customer acquisition and retention, retail media and brand functions. He brings 17 years of experience at Boston Consulting Group (BCG), where he most recently served as Managing Director and Partner, leading the firm’s e-commerce work across Europe, the Middle East, South America and Africa.

Haladus will be responsible for sales performance and profitability across zooplus’ European markets, covering pricing and promotions, go-to-market operations and customer care. Before joining the pet retailer, he served as Vice President (VP) of the Management Board and Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) at MODIVO, a European online fashion retailer.

Hus will lead zooplus’ corporate strategy, transformation office, partnerships and corporate communications. She previously served as Chief Transformation Officer at Superbet, a global tech and entertainment brand. She also spent 6 years as an Operating Partner at global investment firm Permira, where she worked on strategy, transformation and value creation across international businesses.

Meanwhile, Zubrik will bring product, technology and data under a unified leadership structure to improve coordination, speed up decision-making and strengthen execution. He joined zooplus from ATG Entertainment, a global live entertainment company and ticketing platform, where he served as Chief Product & Technology Officer and was a member of the executive leadership team.

Omni Pet

Omni Pet, a British plant-based dog food company, has named Olly Johnson as its Chief Growth Officer. He previously worked with Omni Pet as fractional Head of Growth from 2023, helping to launch its functional supplement chews, and is now returning as Chief Growth Officer.

Johnson has nearly 16 years of experience in e-commerce, digital marketing and business growth, primarily across the health, wellness, nutrition and consumer goods sectors.

Most recently, he served as Managing Director of functional mushroom brand Spacegoods, overseeing retail expansion and helping the brand achieve triple-digit year-on-year direct-to-consumer growth. 

Founded in 2020, Omni Pet is a London-based B Corp-certified pet food manufacturer. Earlier this year, Omni raised £11 million ($15.1M/€12.9M) in a Series A funding round led by UK investors IW Capital and Redrice Ventures. 

GEVO

GEVO, a wild bird feed brand that recently joined German pet food manufacturer Mühldorfer Group’s portfolio, has appointed Sven Kramer as Managing Director.

Kramer brings nearly 2 decades of experience in sales, marketing and management across the pet food, pet supplies, animal nutrition, telecommunications and food sectors. 

Most recently, he served as Managing Director of German dog treat companies Caniland and Pauls Beute, both subsidiaries of German feed manufacturer Deutsche Tiernahrung Cremer.

“Sven Kramer will manage GEVO holistically in the future, with a clear focus on sustainable growth and long-term viability. With his comprehensive expertise, strong understanding of customers and the market, and empathetic management style, he has the prerequisites to successfully lead the company together with his employees,” Mühldorfer Group said in a LinkedIn post.

MPM Products

The UK-based pet food group has announced Samantha Greenwood’s appointment as President of its North America business. She took up the role in July, following her promotion from Global CMO.

Greenwood brings more than 25 years of experience in international brand development. She joined MPM in 2022 and spent more than 4 years as Global CMO, contributing to the company’s global brand growth and its 2025 sale from 3i Group to private equity firm Partners Group.

Before joining MPM, Greenwood held positions at consumer goods companies Mondelēz International and Kraft Heinz, working across categories including premium coffee and chocolate.

“Sam has been instrumental in shaping the growth and success of our brands globally through her role as Chief Marketing Officer,” says Julian Bambridge, MPM CEO. “Her deep understanding of our consumers, strong connection to our brands and proven ability to translate insight into commercial success make her uniquely qualified to lead our US business.”

Natural Line

Tommaso Gagliardi is the new Managing Director of Italian pet food manufacturer Natural Line. The company is part of international distribution group Nasta Pet Food.

The appointment comes as Nasta Pet Food strengthens its organization and international presence, with the ambition of becoming a leading European player in premium pet food.

Gagliardi will oversee the company’s growth in existing markets and new international markets, strengthen cooperation across the group and lead innovation. His responsibilities include developing Natural Line’s brands, Natural Code, Lev and Petita, while maintaining their focus on ingredient quality, product expertise and pet well-being.

Since joining Nasta Pet Food in 2023, Gagliardi has helped expand the group and its brands into more than 30 countries. His work has included establishing local teams in Singapore, Russia, Spain and Portugal, as well as leading the launch of the group’s Chinese subsidiary in 2025.

He brings more than 15 years of experience in the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector, including the food and pet food industries.