HR alert (II): US pet industry sees fresh executive appointments

The latest personnel changes include new CEOs at PetMeds and Central Bark, expanded responsibilities at Tractor Supply and senior appointments at Mars, Pet Circle and Hill’s Pet Nutrition. GlobalPETS rounds up the developments.

PetMeds

Jeff Willard will join US online pet pharmacy PetMeds on 28 September as Chief Executive Officer and President, succeeding Leslie C.G. Campbell, who has held the roles on an interim basis since August 2025 while serving as Chair of PetMeds’ Board of Directors.

Willard brings more than 25 years of leadership experience across consumer and e-commerce businesses. Most recently, he served as CEO of Stewart-MacDonald (StewMac), a global e-commerce company specializing in guitar tools and parts. 

As part of the leadership changes, PetMeds has named Justin Mennen Board Chair, succeeding Campbell. Mennen currently serves as Lead Independent Director and Chair of the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee. Peter Batushansky, who currently serves on the committee, will succeed Mennen as Committee Chair.

The company has also named Andrew Parry as Chief Technology Officer, effective immediately. In his new role, Parry will lead PetMeds’ technology strategy, platform architecture and engineering operations across its e-commerce, pharmacy and enterprise systems.

Parry brings more than 3 decades of technology leadership experience. He most recently served as Senior Vice President (SVP) and Chief Information Officer (CIO) at American office supply retailer Office Depot, where he oversaw technology across its retail, business solutions and supply chain operations.

Central Bark

American pet services franchise Central Bark welcomed Jason Perras as its new CEO. He will oversee strategic direction and growth across the company’s 45 locations nationwide.

Perras was previously Central Bark’s Chief Financial Officer (CFO) for over 2 years. He brings extensive leadership experience in multi-unit franchise operations and strategic business development.

As CFO, Perras helped the company achieve record-breaking Q2 revenue and a 17% increase in systemwide sales, marking the highest-performing quarter in company history. 

“My top priority is empowering our franchisees with the operational systems, advanced resources, and strategic guidance they need to succeed. By strengthening our franchise network, we ensure that every location continues to deliver an unparalleled level of personalized care to the dogs and families we serve,” the CEO says.

Tractor Supply

Kimberley Gardiner has left her position as Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) at Tractor Supply after 4 years with the company.

The American rural retailer says Neil Tenzer will take over CMO responsibilities alongside his existing duties. His new title will be SVP, Chief Marketing Officer and Pet Health.

Tenzer joined Tractor Supply in 2021 and previously led the company’s Life Out Here strategy and Neighbor’s Club loyalty program. Before joining the company, he was VP of Strategy at EssilorLuxottica, a vision care and eyewear manufacturer.

He has also held senior leadership roles at American apparel retailer Abercrombie & Fitch and A.T. Kearney, a management consulting firm.

Hill’s Pet Nutrition

Hill’s Pet Nutrition announced leadership changes, promoting Keith Wilkinson to SVP, Global Customer Development and appointing Carolyn Belloni as SVP, Customer Development, Hill’s US.

Wilkinson will oversee the company’s global customer development strategy, focusing on strengthening customer partnerships and expanding the brand’s presence across international markets. He has been with Hill’s’ parent company, Colgate-Palmolive, since 2005, when he joined as a Customer Marketing Executive in Ireland. 

He later held roles including Director of Retail Marketing for Hill’s US and General Manager of Hill’s Mexico & Latin America. Most recently, he served as SVP and Chief Development Officer for Hill’s US.

Meanwhile, Belloni brings more than 20 years of commercial leadership experience across the pet care and consumer packaged goods sectors. Prior to her appointment, she served as Chief Sales Officer at Targeted PetCare.

In that role, Belloni managed commercial partnerships across e-commerce, pet specialty, grocery and mass-market channels, including relationships with Chewy, Amazon, PetSmart and Petco.

Mars

Mars has named Varun Kakaria as Chief Digital and Information Officer for Pet Nutrition North America. Kakaria joins the company from Reckitt, a British multinational consumer goods company, where he most recently served as CIO for North America. During his 13 years at the consumer goods company, he held several digital leadership positions.

Kakaria brings more than 20 years of experience in digital and technology leadership across more than 40 countries, with expertise in artificial intelligence adoption, data-driven decision-making and global program delivery. At Mars, he will support the company’s digital-first transformation by advancing digital products, data-driven solutions and business partnerships across the pet nutrition business.

Separately, Mars ANZ has appointed Mitch Maiers as Strategy & Category Operations Director for Pet Nutrition.

Maiers joins the ANZ business from Mars Pet Nutrition North America, where he most recently served as Category Director for Walmart. He brings extensive experience in fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), including category strategy, insights, digital acceleration and customer development.

In his new role, Maiers will lead the pet nutrition business’s category growth strategy across in-store and online channels, working with customers to improve category performance, strengthen execution and create value for shoppers.

Pet Circle

Australian pet retailer Pet Circle has appointed Daniel Walter as Director of Ventures & AI, where he will oversee new business ventures, including fresh dog food, pet pharmacy and pet insurance, and explore business applications for artificial intelligence (AI).

Walter has held several leadership roles at Australian supermarket chain Woolworths, most recently serving as General Manager of Strategy, Transformation & Enablement at WooliesX, the company’s digital, data and e-commerce arm.

He also owns multiple businesses in the food and beverage (F&B) and consulting sectors. Earlier in his career, Walter spent 2 years as an Associate Consultant at Boston Consulting Group.