Latest appointments: Nestlé, Tom&Co, Pet Valu, Alphia and more

The pet industry is seeing dynamic leadership changes as companies adjust their growth strategies. Here’s a look at the latest executive appointments at Nestlé, Tom&Co, Pet Valu, Alphia.

Nestlé

Laurent Freixe has been named the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Nestlé, Purina’s parent company, and nominated as a candidate for the Board of Directors. He will assume the position from 1 September 2024.

Freixe is the current Executive Vice President (VP) and CEO of Zone Latin America (LATAM) and played a key role in the CHF 200 million ($236M/€211.4M) investment to expand Nestlé’s pet food plant in the city of Silao, Mexico.

He takes over from Mark Schneider, who shaped Nestlé’s strategy for high-growth categories, including pet care, for 8 years.

Freixe joined the Swiss conglomerate in 1986 and guided Zone Europe through the financial and economic crisis between 2008 and 2014.

“Laurent is the perfect fit for Nestlé at this time,” said Paul Bulcke, Chairman of the Board of Directors.

Tom&Co

Jean Richard de Latour has been appointed CEO of the Belgian pet retailer. He will start his tenure on 2 September and report to the Board of Directors.

Current CEO Thierry le Grelle will transition to an active Co-Chair position on the company’s board.

De Latour’s previous roles included Head of Carrefour Links, the supermarket group’s data and retail media division, CEO of Carrefour Romania and Hypermarket Operations Director for the chain in France.

“I am extremely excited that Jean has agreed to serve as Tom&Co’s next CEO,” says le Grelle, adding that he and the board had been planning his succession for some time.

Pet Valu

Greg Ramier has been appointed President and Chief Operating Officer (COO) – a newly created role – at the Canadian specialty pet retailer.

He will be responsible for executing strategic initiatives, enhancing omnichannel retail, and driving long-term profitability and will also oversee merchandising, marketing, supply chain and store operations.

Ramier has a wealth of experience in the retail industry, as well as commercial, operational and management experience over his 30-year career.

Alphia

John Bear assumed the position of COO at the Colorado-headquartered pet food manufacturer earlier this month. His responsibilities include managing operational strategies, ensuring efficiency, improving processes and handling crisis management.

Bear has 33 years of experience in the pet care manufacturing space. He has held several leadership roles at Nestlé Purina, including Chief Technical Officer (CTO), VP and Director of Manufacturing in North America and VP of Quality for North and South America.

JustFoodForDogs (JFFD)

The California-based premium fresh dog food brand recently welcomed Jeff Siegel as its Chief Growth Officer. He is responsible for accelerating expansion and increasing market share with retail partners across pet specialty, mass, grocery and club channels.

Over a 35-year career, Siegel has served as Vice President of Sales at Nestlé Purina North America and as Chief Customer Officer at Red’s All Natural and Stuffed Puffs, 2 human food brands.

AFB International

The Missouri-based company, a leader in pet food palatability, recently named Dale Spencer as President and member of the Executive Leadership Team at its parent company, Ensign-Bickford Industries.

Spencer joined AFB in 2016 as the Vice President of Strategy and Marketing and has since held many functional and general manager positions at the company.