Paws and profits: Veterinary business appointments across the industry

Leaders in the veterinary and pet industry are instrumental in guaranteeing the efficient operation of their practice or company. Their strategic foresight propels growth, advances innovation, and promotes sustainability in the sector, thereby impacting the health and welfare of numerous animals and their owners.

Various veterinary businesses recently announced new promotions. The following individuals are among those making career advancements:

Temple Grandin, PhD, MS, director of animal wellbeing, Fear Free

Temple Grandin, PhD, MS, director of animal welfare, Fear Free (left) and Marty Becker, DVM, founder of Fear Free (right). (Photo courtesy of Fear Free)

Fear Free is a global initiative that offers online and in-person education aimed at empowering veterinary professionals, the pet professional community, animal shelter staff and volunteers, and pet owners to create low-stress environments for pets. The company was founded by Marty Becker, DVM, and developed by several experts in behavior, medicine, and handling. Veterinary professionals can also now receive Fear Free accreditation.

Temple Grandin has dedicated her life to advocating for animals and has pioneered animal welfare initiatives, particularly in livestock handling. She officially joined Fear Free as the director of animal welfare. According to a news release,¹ Grandin’s new role will focus on developing innovative strategies to improve the wellbeing of animals to ensure a life worth living and allow Fear Free to extend its reach to farm animals.

"We are honored to welcome Dr Temple Grandin to the Fear Free family," said Becker in the release.¹ "Her expertise and passion will undoubtedly enhance our efforts to provide exceptional care for animals, especially large animals.”

Grandin stated, “I appreciate that Fear Free is a science-based company and look forward to doing more research with them." Grandin continues, "I'm especially excited about plans to give animals used for food and fiber what's being called 'a life worth living', where animals get to experience positive, rewarding things."¹

Todd Lavender, DVM, chief transformation officer, Mars Veterinary Health

Todd Lavender, DVM, chief transformation officer of Mars Veterinary Health. (Photo courtesy of VCA Animal Hospital)

After 20 years serving as the president of VCA Animal Hospitals, Todd Lavender, DVM, has stepped down from his role and is now the chief transformation officer of Mars Veterinary Health. Given that VCA Animal Hospitals are part of the Mars Veterinary Health division, the transition is expected to be seamless.

"I've had the pleasure of working alongside Dr Lavender for many years, and throughout this time, he's encouraged our teams to lead in medical quality, spread the joy of our profession and innovate for our clients," said Doug Drew, president, Mars Veterinary Health, in a company release.² "As chief transformation officer, Todd will sharpen our future focus across our network, continuing to do more today to improve the experience of pet ownership and the experience of those caring for pets tomorrow."

In his new role, Lavender will lead programs designed to increase access to care and inspire the next generation of veterinary professionals. He stated, “We are serious about our obligation of taking care of the future of veterinary medicine. We have expanded access to care across the US, and to Canada and Brazil, strengthened the associate experience and continued to scale the highest-quality medicine for our patients.”²

Patty Wu, president of VCA Animal Hospitals

Patty Wu, president of VCA Animal Hospital. (Photo courtesy of VCA Animal Hospital)

Following in Lavender’s footsteps, Patty Wu will take over the role of president for VCA Animal Hospitals. Wu has held executive positions at companies such as Bed, Bath & Beyond, where she acted as executive vice president and brand president for the buybuy BABY division.²

"Over the past few years, VCA has expanded access to care, experienced amazing growth and stayed true to an Associate-first, pet-centric culture. I am excited and honored to join an organization with such clarity of mission and purpose,” Wu expressed in the release.²

"I'm thrilled to welcome Patty to VCA and the Mars Veterinary Health family. As an accomplished senior executive with more than 20 years of experience leading and growing CPG, omni retail, and direct-to-consumer businesses in the US, Canada, China and Asia Pacific, Patty believes exceptional client and patient outcomes grow from a strong Associate and client experience,” stated Drew.²

Cade Culver, chief growth and transformation officer, Alphia; Jack Reid, chief people officer, Alphia

Cade Culver, chief growth and transformation officer, Alphia; Jack Reid, chief people officer, Alphia. (Photo courtesy of Alphia and Business Wire)

Alphia, a United States pet food manufacturer, has appointed 2 new C-suite executives: Cade Culver as chief growth and transformation officer and Jack Reid as chief people officer. According to the company release,³ Culver’s role will drive business growth and he will be tasked with implementing transformative strategies within the company. Reid will be responsible for fostering a positive workplace culture and shaping the Alphia team.

“As we continue to expand the leadership team, we are excited to welcome both Cade and Jack to Alphia, marking an exciting step forward for the company,” said David McLain, CEO and president of Alphia, in the release.³ “With their extensive experience and dedication to driving growth and innovation within the pet food industry, I am confident these new team members will help advance the company forward.”

Culver has more than 16 years of experience in the consumer packaged goods industry, while Reid brings more than 25 years of experience in human resources.

“I look forward to contributing to Alphia's mission to produce safe, quality pet food as we continue to lead the pet industry and create a positive impact with our partners,” said Culver.³

“I’m looking forward to stepping into this new role at Alphia and hope to make a positive impact on the team’s culture,” said Reid.³

References

1. Temple Grandin, PhD, joins Fear Free as director of animal wellbeing. News release. Fear Free. May 7, 2024. Accessed May 15, 2024. https://www.prweb.com/releases/temple-grandin-phd-joins-fear-free-as-director-of-animal-wellbeing-302138288.html
2. VCA Animal Hospital's Todd Lavender, DVM, transitions to role as chief transformation officer for Mars Veterinary Health as Patty Wu joins as new VCA president. News release. May 2, 2024. Accessed May 15, 2024. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/vca-animal-hospitals-todd-lavender-dvm-transitions-to-role-as-chief-transformation-officer-for-mars-veterinary-health-as-patty-wu-joins-as-new-vca-president-302134023.html
3. Alphia names new C-suite executives to strengthen its leadership team. News release. Alphia. April 30, 2024. Accessed May 15, 2024. https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240430534624/en