HR alert: January brings new industry leaders

With the new year, a wave of executives assumes leadership roles across the pet industry, from retailers to healthcare innovators. GlobalPETS highlights the latest transitions.

Petco

US pet retailer Petco announced the transition of its Executive Chairman, Glenn Murphy, to Chairman of the Board of Directors, effective 1 February.

Murphy brings more than 3 decades of global retail experience. Before assuming the role of Executive Chairman in May 2024, he served as CEO of the investment firm FIS-Holdings, the clothing and accessories retailer Gap and the Canadian pharmacy chain Shoppers Drug Mart.

“With a seasoned and proven team now in place, the time is right for my transition to the Chairman role. Under Joel’s executive leadership, and with the support from the Board, I am confident in the entire team’s ability to execute on the growth potential ahead for Petco,” says Murphy.

Petco operates 1,500 stores across the US, Mexico and Puerto Rico.

Freshpet

Freshpet has announced a series of leadership appointments to strengthen its finance and supply chain functions.

Effective 9 February, John O’Connor will assume the role of Chief Financial Officer. He brings more than 2 decades of experience in finance leadership roles across the animal health and pet care sectors, including roles at Zoetis and Thrive Pet Healthcare.

In addition, Ana Lopez will join the company as Senior Vice President of Supply Chain, effective 2 February. She has over 20 years of experience overseeing global supply chain operations across food, consumer packaged goods and healthcare, most recently at Unilever.

As part of the transition, Ivan Garcia, who has served as Interim Chief Financial Officer, will move into the role of Senior Vice President of Finance.

According to the company, the appointments are intended to support Freshpet’s operational and financial priorities as it continues to scale its business.

Central Garden & Pet

The US-based manufacturer has named Apur Patel as Chief Legal Officer, effective 26 January. Patel succeeds George Yuhas, who will retire from the company. 

The new executive brings more than 30 years of global experience across consumer packaged goods, technology and healthcare. 

Prior to his appointment, Patel served as Vice President and Deputy General Counsel at The Clorox Company, an American multinational cleaning product manufacturer. He also held senior legal roles at Cisco, Cargill and UnitedHealth Group.

In his new role, Patel will oversee all legal matters for Central, including corporate governance, mergers and acquisitions, securities and compliance, litigation, intellectual property and enterprise risk management. 

Pets at Home

British pet retailer Pets at Home announced that Sarah Pollard will join the company as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) from 23 March.

Pollard has held the same role at Manchester-based consumer goods firm PZ Cussons since January 2021. Before that, she worked in a range of finance-focused positions at packaged goods and retail companies, including Nomad Foods, Unilever and Tesco.

Pollard will succeed Mike Iddon, who will step down from the board on 27 March. She will also serve as Executive Director.

According to the company, Iddon will remain until 10 April to support an orderly transition. He joined as CFO in 2016, after previously serving for 2 years in the same position at the fashion retailer New Look.

Pets Corner

Nick Anderson is the new Chief Retail Officer at the British pet retailer. With extensive leadership experience, Anderson will oversee retail operations and support Pets Corner’s continued expansion and customer experience strategy, the company says. 

Before joining the company, Anderson served as Operations Director at Dobbies Garden Centres, a Scotland-based chain of garden centers.

“Nick brings outstanding operational expertise and a deep understanding of multi-site retail. His appointment further strengthens our leadership team as we continue to grow responsibly and invest in our colleagues and communities,” CEO Dean Richmond says.

Pets Corner is a family-run pet retailer that operates more than 160 stores, alongside Dogwood Grooming Salons and Pet Practice veterinary surgeries.

Open Farm

Canadian pet food brand Open Farm has appointed John Winer as Chief Digital Officer. He will lead the company’s digital strategy, including direct-to-consumer growth, Amazon marketplace, Autoship subscriptions and digital experience.

Winer has a background in scaling digital growth and customer experience across complex brand portfolios, having held leadership roles at Unilever Prestige, the beauty division of the multinational company Unilever, and Living Proof, a hair care company.

Open Farm also appointed Maria Chilewicz as Vice President of Marketing and Trevor Koons as Vice President for Growth to shape its acquisition and retention strategy. 

 “As we enter our next phase of growth, their leadership will be critical in strengthening our marketing and digital capabilities while reinforcing a culture grounded in our mission and values,” says Karen Sampogna, Chief People Officer at the company.

Headquartered in Toronto, Open Farm produces premium animal nutrition products, including dry, wet, freeze-dried, and fresh options. 

IDEXX Laboratories

The American pet healthcare innovation company announced the promotion of Michael Erickson to President and CEO, effective 12 May. Current President and CEO Jay Mazelsky will transition to Executive Chair of the Board. 

Erickson has nearly 2 decades of leadership experience and expertise in healthcare technology and innovation. He joined IDEXX in 2011 and eventually held senior positions across the company, including diagnostics, software, strategy and corporate accounts.

He currently serves as Executive Vice President and General Manager of IDEXX’s Global Point-of-Care Diagnostics and Telemedicine lines of business. Before joining the firm, Erickson advised major pharmaceutical, biotechnology and health service companies as an Associate Principal at McKinsey & Company.

“Having served in a number of the Company’s key leadership roles, Mike has a deep understanding of the business and is uniquely well-suited to lead the Company forward and build on its strong momentum at the forefront of the veterinary diagnostics industry,” Lawrence D. Kingsley, Independent Non-Executive Board Chair at IDEXX, says.

Based in the US, the company has a portfolio of diagnostic and software products and services for veterinary medicine.