HR alert: Pet companies have new leadership across Europe and Asia

Pet players across Asia and Europe announced leadership changes in February to strengthen their strategic direction and support future growth. GlobalPETS takes a look at the latest appointments in the pet industry across the 2 major regions.

Pet Pawr Group

Swedish pet retailer Pet Pawr Group (PPG) has appointed Martin Daniels as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO), effective 15 April.

Daniels combines experience in consultancy and retail, having previously held leadership roles at Synsam Group, an optical retail company based in Stockholm, and at Haglöfs, a manufacturer of sporting goods.

PPG is the parent company of a group specializing in pet-related products and services. It currently operates 32 stores in Sweden and Norway. In 2024, PPG merged with the Norwegian retailer PetXL Group, becoming the second-largest pet retailer in the Nordic region.

BENEO

German ingredient manufacturer BENEO has appointed Uwe Boltersdorf as Chief Operating Officer (COO), effective 1 February. He brings more than 2 decades of experience in production, process development and engineering, and previously held roles at manufacturers including Bayer, Lanxess and Sulzer.

In his new position, he oversees operations, including production, technology, logistics and quality management.

On 1 April 2025, Boltersdorf was appointed to the Executive Committee of CropEnergies, BENEO’s sister company and a manufacturer of renewable biomass products, where he assumed the role of COO. He will continue in this position alongside his new responsibilities at BENEO.

Fressnapf Austria

On 16 February, Mike Podobrin was appointed Managing Director of Fressnapf Austria, succeeding Hermann Aigner, who resigned. Podobrin’s new responsibilities include operational management and strategic direction of the local business.

With over 30 years of experience in international trade, he served most recently as Managing Director at PENNY Austria, the discount store brand owned by REWE International.

“He will consistently continue the successful development of Fressnapf Austria and provide important impetus for the future strategic direction in order to achieve our growth targets,” says Patrick Bontenakels, Managing Director of Fressnapf Central & Eastern Europe.

IQI Trusted Petfood

Netherlands-based IQI Trusted Petfood has named Elsebeth Soendergaard as Sales Director for Europe, starting from 1 February. Soendergaard was previously COO at AM Nutrition and Key Account Manager for Vital (now United Petfood).

“She has exactly what we need to bring our European Sales team to the next level: a background in the pet food industry and proven qualities as a leader who embodies our values,” says Arjan van Waes, CEO at IQI Trusted Petfood Ingredients.

Ceva Animal Health

Ceva Animal Health has appointed Arnaud Leboulanger as Senior Vice President (SVP) of the new APAC & China region, following the company’s strategic relocation of its Asia-Pacific regional headquarters to Shanghai. In addition, Anh-Mai Vu has been appointed Head of Pet Products for the region.

Leboulanger joined Ceva in 2003, where he served as General Manager for entities in Southeastern Europe, the Middle East and the Pacific, before taking over the French subsidiary and then the Southern European subsidiary.

Meanwhile, Vu has served as the Group’s Director of Global E-Commerce for the past 2 years, where he led the digital transformation and developed the Group’s global e-commerce division. Based in Libourne, France, Ceva operates in 100 countries.

Mars Pet Nutrition

Caspar Kam is Mars’ new General Manager for Pet Nutrition for the Benelux region, starting 1 January. In this role, he leads the new cluster combining the Belgian and Dutch markets.

Kam first joined Mars in 2019 as Sales Director in the Netherlands and progressed to Regional Category Strategy Director for Mars Snacking Europe & Central Eurasia.

Zoomalia

French pet retail group Zoomalia has named Olivier Léonard as its new CEO following its acquisition by JMT Le Royaume des Animaux.

Prior to his appointment, Léonard was Zoomalia’s Director of Sales and Marketing. Before joining the group, he spent 17 years with Cultura, a French specialty retail company, serving in various leadership roles.

“Proud to fly the flag of Zoomalia, I am enthusiastic about the idea of contributing, with the teams and the JMT group, to the construction of an independent, solid and ambitious French group,” Léonard said in a LinkedIn post.