Freshpet Co-Founder and President to Transition to Advisory Role
Pet foods and treats manufacturer Freshpet Inc. president and co-founder Scott Morris will transition from his operating responsibilities to an advisory role with the company effective Oct. 20, 2026 — which will be the company’s 20th anniversary. He will advise the company for an 18-month transition period.
In his place, current chief operating officer Nicki Baty will add the title of president to her role, and as president and COO will continue to report to CEO Billy Cyr. Baty joined Freshpet two years ago as part of a leadership succession plan, and now she will oversee the company’s commercial operations and supply chain.
Morris also held oversight of the company’s innovation track, and Freshpet noted that it would add a chief innovation officer to its roster of executives to take on that role.
Freshpet also has promoted chief human resources officer Thembi Machaba, adding the role of chief administrative officer to her company duties. Machaba will assume added responsibility for sustainability initiatives, community relations, property management, corporate security and key management processes.
About the Author
Andy Hanacek
Senior Editor
Andy Hanacek has covered meat, poultry, bakery and snack foods as a B2B editor for nearly 20 years, and has toured hundreds of processing plants and food companies, sharing stories of innovation and technological advancement throughout the food supply chain. In 2018, he won a Folio:Eddie Award for his unique "From the Editor's Desk" video blogs, and he has brought home additional awards from Folio and ASBPE over the years. In addition, Hanacek led the Meat Industry Hall of Fame for several years and was vice president of communications for We R Food Safety, a food safety software and consulting company.