Wellness Pet Company appointed Kevin Penwell as chief customer officer, effective January. In this newly created role, Penwell will lead the company’s North America sales function across all categories and channels.
Penwell brings more than two decades of senior commercial leadership experience across consumer packaged goods companies. Most recently, he served as senior vice president of North American sales and go-to-market at McCain Foods, where he oversaw all North American selling units and channels, including foodservice, quick service restaurants and retail.
As a member of the executive leadership team, Penwell will oversee sales and customer strategy, sales execution, sales planning and operations, category management, and customer penetration.
“Kevin is a proven customer-centric leader with deep expertise in sales strategy, revenue management, and category leadership,” said Wellness Pet CEO Reed Howlett. “His experience leading complex organizations and creating positive partnerships with customers makes him exceptionally well-suited to help Wellness Pet accelerate its next phase of growth.”
Prior to McCain Foods, Penwell held several senior leadership roles at Ocean Spray Cranberries, Inc., serving as senior vice president of sales and sales strategy. He also served as director of category development at Energizer Personal Care, held various sales and marketing leadership roles at The Gillette Company, and worked in global business development at Procter & Gamble.
“I’m excited to join Wellness Pet Company and contribute to a mission that aligns so closely with my passion for health, wellness, and purpose-driven growth,” said Penwell. “The pet food category represents a tremendous opportunity to create value for pet parents and pet retailers, and I look forward to partnering with the team to build the next chapter of growth.”
Penwell earned both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Boston College and lives in Duxbury, Massachusetts, with his family and their Cavapoo, Riggs.
According to Petfood Industry’s Top Pet Food Companies, Wellness Pet Company is a global supplier of premium pet food and treats. Headquartered in Burlington, Massachusetts, U.S., the company has three facilities in Decatur, Arkansas, U.S., South St. Paul, Minnesota, U.S., and Veendam, Netherlands.
