PetWise Names Mac Tillman Chief Executive Officer
Kevin Fick, who helped turn the Company into an industry leader as CEO over the past 12 years, transitioning to a new role on the Board of Directors
NOVATO, Calif., February 12, 2024 – PetWise, Inc. (“PetWise” or the “Company”), a leading provider of solution-based pet products, today announced that E. McDowell “Mac” Tillman has been named Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”), effective February 5, 2024. As part of this appointment, Kevin Fick, who has served as CEO of PetWise since 2012, has been elevated to a new role with the Company’s Board of Directors, where he will continue to work with Tillman and the Company.
Mac Tillman brings to PetWise more than 25 years of enterprise-level experience leading high-performing teams and driving brand growth in the consumer product goods and pet care industries. Tillman held pivotal roles at Big Heart Pet Brands and Del Monte Foods, and was most recently the CEO of Alete Active Nutrition, which he helped grow from one to four brands, tripling annual revenue in just three years. Earlier in his career, Tillman held senior-level positions at CamelBak and Timberland, having started his career with Procter & Gamble. Prior to the corporate world, Tillman served honorably as a Major in the United States Marine Corps, having earned his B.S. in General Engineering from the U.S. Naval Academy. Tillman also holds an MBA from Cornell University.
“PetWise has a 30-year legacy of nurturing the special bond between pets and their families,” said Tillman. “In this new role, my focus will be to deepen those meaningful connections through innovative products and engaging brand experiences that are unique to PetWise’s offerings. This is an exciting time to be joining this organization, and I am eager to collaborate with our talented team to chart a course together for our next phase of growth and market leadership.”
PetWise, which rebranded in Q4 2023 from Worldwise, has been led by Kevin Fick for nearly twelve years, during which time he worked to develop the Company’s platform and portfolio, helped secure the strategic investment in the Company from A&M Capital Partners (“AMCP”), worked with AMCP to execute several add-on acquisitions, and was a key figure in building the Company’s overall reputation in the pet products sector. Tillman will now build off these successes and focus PetWise’s go-forward strategy on partnering with PetWise’S existing customers, accelerating certain e-commerce initiatives, accelerating the growth of PetWise’s new TreatlyTM brand, and leveraging powerful insights to deliver products that resonate with today’s pet-parents.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Mac as the new CEO of PetWise,” said Ryan McCarthy, Partner at A&M Capital Partners. “We believe Mac’s understanding of the pet supplies market, coupled with his experience in brand and product development, align with our goals for the Company, and we believe his leadership will be instrumental in driving the next stage of our strategic growth. Importantly, as we welcome Mac, we are deeply appreciative of Kevin’s leadership and look forward to his continued insights as a board member.”
“It’s been a remarkable journey leading PetWise, but now it’s time for me to take the next step and join our Board of Directors, paving the way for new leadership to make their mark on this outstanding Company,” said Fick. “I’m confident that under Mac’s leadership, PetWise will continue to flourish and succeed in the evolving landscape of the pet supplies market.”
To learn more about PetWise and its portfolio of award-winning, industry-leading brands, please visit PetWiseBrands.com.
About PetWise
PetWise – formerly known as Worldwise. Inc. – is committed to creating the most innovative, accessible, and affordable product solutions for pets and pet-parents everywhere. Our family of award-winning brands – goDog, SHERPA, SmartyKat, TrustyPup, Kitty Sift, Instincts by SmartyKat, Pawscout, FurHaven, Treatly, Pet Factory – all stand for the highest in quality, safety, and satisfaction, all while incorporating environmentally-responsible materials and processes whenever possible. Backed by child safety standards and our satisfaction guarantee, our thoughtful, fun, and eco-sustainable products promote the bond between pets and pet-parents across diverse categories such as cat toys, catnip, cat bedding, cat litter accessories, cat scratchers, pet chews and treats, dog toys, dog bedding, dog and cat travel accessories, app-integrated dog, and cat tracking solutions, and more. For more information, please visit PetWisebrands.com.
About A&M Capital Partners
A&M Capital Partners is Alvarez & Marsal Capital’s flagship investment strategy focused on middle-market control transactions in North America with total assets under management of $3.9 billion. A&M Capital Partners has a strong and referenceable track record of serving as a trusted partner to founders, corporates and management teams, providing the capital and strategic assistance required to take businesses to the next level of success. A&M Capital Partners invests in businesses across a wide range of sectors including Business Services, Industrials, Manufacturing, Food & Beverage, Healthcare, Consumer & Retail, Government Services, Financial Services and Energy Services.
About Alvarez & Marsal Capital
Alvarez & Marsal Capital is a multi-strategy private equity investment firm with over $5.6 billion in assets under management across six funds and four investment strategies. The firm is led by an experienced investment team, which is augmented by a strategic association with Alvarez & Marsal (“A&M”), one of the largest operationally-focused advisory firms in the world. Alvarez & Marsal Capital combines a focus on middle-market private equity investing, with deep operational expertise, industry knowledge and global corporate relationships, which we believe makes Alvarez & Marsal Capital an attractive partner to management teams and business owners. Alvarez & Marsal Capital is headquartered in Greenwich, CT with offices in Los Angeles, CA and London, England. For more information, visit www.a-mcapital.com.
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