HR alert: Top pet industry leadership changes

Major industry players, such as Mars Petcare, Freshpet, Tyson Foods and others, have announced their latest additions. GlobalPETS summarizes their roles and responsibilities.

Mars Petcare

The leading pet nutrition company has appointed Gabriel Millan as its Chief Financial Officer (CFO), effective December.

He will oversee Mars Petcare’s $30 billion+ pet health, services and nutrition business.

Millan brings 25 years of experience from companies such as GSK, a biopharma company; Reckitt Benckiser, a consumer goods company; and Essity Group, a global health product manufacturer.

“His expertise and experience will bring exceptional value to the global Mars Finance community and to Mars Petcare,” notes Claus Aagaard, CFO of Mars Incorporated.

Freshpet

Nicki Baty has joined the New Jersey-based pet food company as Chief Operating Officer (COO). Until May 2025, her focus will be on the Mass, Grocery and Club channels.

Baty comes from American conglomerate Colgate-Palmolive, where she most recently served as President and General Manager of Hill’s Pet Nutrition U.S.

She will work alongside Scott Morris, Freshpet’s President and Co-Founder, and be responsible for developing the company’s future product portfolio.

CEO Billy Cyr says, “Nicki brings us a proven track record of scaling a large business, a commitment to animal health and wellbeing and broad international experience that will support our efforts to accomplish our goals.”

Tyson Foods

The British pet food manufacturer has named Curt Calaway as Chief Financial Officer after serving as interim CFO.

He brings 30 years of finance, audit and accounting experience and has held various leadership roles at Tyson since 2006.

In addition to these positions, he has been responsible for the company’s mergers and acquisitions, among other efforts.

“Curt is a proven leader with deep financial expertise. I’m confident he’ll continue driving operational excellence and shareholder value,” says Donnie King, President and CEO of Tyson Foods.

Pets at Home

The London-based retailer has appointed Richard Dening-Smitherman as Managing Director of Vets for Pets, the company’s vet group.

Previously, he was COO at Burger King UK, where he drove sales through digital expansion. He also has experience with food and supermarket chains like Nando’s Middle East and Waitrose.

“Richard has fantastic experience delivering success with some of the biggest brands in franchise-based organizations, which will be invaluable in this new role to protect and nurture our unique joint venture model and to continue the development of our vet business,” commented Pets at Home CEO Lyssa McGowan.

Alphia

Jarrod Kersey is the new Vice President of Food Safety & Quality Assurance at Alphia. With 20 years in the pet food industry, Kersey will manage quality control, regulatory compliance and supplier management.

He emphasizes his commitment to ensuring safe and healthy food for pets.

In his new role, Kersey will oversee the establishment and enforcement of quality control procedures, ensure regulatory compliance, and conduct inspections to address risks promptly. He will also lead supplier management, build the Food Safety & Quality Assurance team, and foster continuous improvement and collaboration across departments.

Symrise

The German pet food company has appointed Walter Ribeiro to the Executive Board, effective 15 September 2024. Ribeiro will manage the Taste, Nutrition & Health (TN&H) segment, previously overseen by CEO Dr. Jean-Yves Parisot.

Dr. Jörn Andreas will step down from the Executive Board by the end of September 2024 to pursue opportunities outside Symrise. Until a successor is found, Dr. Parisot will temporarily lead the Scent & Care (S&C) segment.

Michael König, Chairman of the Supervisory Board, praised Ribeiro’s international experience and successful transformation of Symrise’s Food & Beverage division.

Originally from Brazil, Ribeiro has had a long career at Symrise, including leading the global Food & Beverage division.

PetMed Express

The American online pharmacy business welcomed Robyn D’Elia as CFO on 16 September.

D’Elia has over 25 years of experience in financial leadership. She most recently served as the CFO at Odeko, a private operations partner for independent coffee shops and other businesses.

She also spent 24 years at American retail chain Bed Bath & Beyond, holding several leadership positions, including CFO from 2018 to 2020.

D’Elia said she looks forward to “leading the company’s finance organization, working to solidify financials and strengthen [PetMed’s] foundation” to ensure it is well-positioned to deliver healthy and profitable growth.

HUNTER Group

Jan Oßenbrink will join the Germany-based pet food company as Managing Director in January 2025, working alongside Nadine Trautwein.

Oßenbrink brings extensive experience as an entrepreneur and founder, with expertise in strategy, marketing, sales, organizational development and new business models.

He previously co-founded the business consulting firm Eigenland and worked for the international venture capital firm Maschmeyer Group.

Trautwein highlighted their shared passion for the HUNTER brand and the people behind it. The dual leadership aims to drive innovation and explore new business areas while focusing on customer and brand needs.