HR update: Central, Petco, IDEXX, Independence Pet Holdings and more

From new hires to position reshuffling, pet companies are gearing up for 2025 with fresh appointments.

Central Garden & Pet

The American pet distributor and retailer has welcomed Randal D. Lewis as a new member of its Board of Directors.

Over his 34-year-long career, Lewis served for almost 2 decades at Spectrum Brands Holdings, a pet supply manufacturing company, where he held various roles, including Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, President of the Global Consumer Division and President of the Global Pet, Home & Garden business units.

Lewis has also held key roles at United Industries Corporation, now part of Spectrum, and consumer goods giant Unilever.

“Randy has deep and broad experience as an operational leader in our two industries: pet and garden,” comments Bill Brown, Chairman of the Board of Directors. “His invaluable perspective will enhance our ability to serve clients, expand into new markets and fuel our next phase of growth.”

Petco

The Californian pet retailer has appointed Joe Venezia to the newly created role of Chief Revenue Officer, reporting to Chief Executive Officer Joel Anderson.

Venezia is expected to drive revenue, integrate strategies to improve customer experience and oversee critical areas, such as pet care centers and pet and veterinary services, that contribute to Petco’s growth. “Petco has a strong brand and a highly differentiated footprint with a significant opportunity to drive profitable growth,” he comments.

“Over the course of his career, Joe has demonstrated the ability to mobilize teams to achieve sales and profit goals,” Anderson says, noting his 25 years of industry experience.

Venezia most recently served as the Chief Operating Officer of Stores at arts and crafts retailer Michaels. He has also held multiple leadership positions at auto care company Bridgestone Retail Operations, chain retailers like Toys “R” Us, Babies “R” Us, Walmart and consumer multinational Procter & Gamble.

IDEXX

The American pet healthcare innovation company has announced a Chief Financial Officer (CFO) transition, with Andrew Emerson taking over as Executive Vice President, CFO and Treasurer, effective 1 March 2025.

Emerson, who currently serves as Senior Vice President of Corporate and CAG Finance, will succeed Brian McKeon, who retires in June 2025 after more than 2 decades of service.

The incoming CFO has been instrumental in driving IDEXX’s growth, with the Companion Animal Group now contributing over 90% of the company’s revenue.

“He also has overseen our corporate finance areas since 2020, including financial reporting, investor relations, tax, treasury and financial planning and analysis,” notes CEO Jay Mazelsky.

In his new position, Emerson will oversee corporate finance functions and lead IDEXX into its next phase of financial and operational growth.

“With a strong financial foundation and clear strategic drivers, the Company is well-positioned to continue growing revenue, increasing profitability and delivering long-term value,” he notes.

Independence Pet Holdings (IPH)

IPH has onboarded Jared Vestal as its first Chief Customer and Marketing Officer, highlighting the company’s commitment to integrating customer experience and marketing across its multi-brand pet insurance platform.

Vestal will be responsible for developing a holistic customer growth network to improve customer acquisition, experience and loyalty across the group’s portfolio. These initiators will be led by a data-driven and consumer-first strategy to position IPH as a “full stack platform for pet parents.”

“We are thrilled to welcome Jared to IPH and believe he will play a pivotal role in advancing IPH’s alignment with evolving customer expectations and further establishing the company as a leader in the pet care and insurance space,” comments CEO Kirk Haggard.

Darling Ingredients

The Texas-based business has announced several leadership changes, including the retirement of CFO Brad Phillips in June 2025 after 36 years with the company.

He will be succeeded by Robert Day, currently the Chief Strategy Officer, effective February 2025. Day is a seasoned leader who has held prior roles at investment bank and advisory firm Ascendant Partners and food corporation Cargill.

Additionally, Sandra Dudley will assume the dual roles of Executive Vice President of Renewables and Chief Strategy Officer, while Carlos Paz will join as Executive Vice President of Global Risk Management and Ingredients.

Since 2021, Dudley has overseen Darling Ingredients’ wet pet food business and other portfolios. Paz, a new joinee, will supervise all risk-taking and trading activities globally, including commodity price fluctuations, supply chain disruptions and market volatility.

Kradle

The Minneapolis-based pet wellness company has appointed Paul Anderson as its Chief Growth Officer to oversee sales and marketing strategies. He brings over a decade of experience in consumer product marketing, including expertise in brand building, commercialization and omnichannel marketing execution.

“Over the course of his career, he has demonstrated the ability to mobilize teams to achieve growth-oriented results, and I’m confident his extensive strategy and marketing experience will be instrumental in our long-term success,” notes CEO Jennifer Renaud.

Previously, Anderson served as Vice President of Product Marketing at door manufacturer and distributor Masonite International and worked in various roles at the consumer goods company 3M, contributing to global brand and business-development strategies.

Fox4Pets

The German company behind pet food brands Granata-Pet, Doggy Dog and Kitty Cat has named Falko Diener its new Chief Digital Officer (CDO) and Head of Direct-to-Consumer (D2C).

With extensive experience in e-commerce and digital business models, Diener will be responsible for further developing and accelerating the company’s direct-to-consumer (DTC) business.