Stella & Chewy’s Appoints New CEO

Freeze-dried raw pet food company Stella & Chewy’s has announced Jay Thompson as its new chief executive officer. Thompson has formerly served in leadership roles at Generous Brands, Utz Quality Foods, Chobani and PepsiCo, with a foundation in finance and strategic growth, the company noted.

Thompson is expected to lead the company through its next chapter of growth, and he takes the reins from Stella & Chewy’s founder Marie Moody, who had served as interim CEO since last year and played a key role in constructing a strong leadership team, realigning company priorities and reinforcing the brand’s founding mission during her tenure as interim CEO.

Moody said putting the right team in place prior to Thompson’s arrival was critical, and she believes the new executives can propel the brand to the next level.

Thompson’s most recent prior role was chief financial officer for Generous Brands, which he took on following a stint on the leadership team at Chobani. Prior to those positions, Thompson also served on the leadership team at PepsiCo, where he developed deep expertise in profitably growing consumer brands in competitive markets, the release said.

Under Thompson’s leadership, Stella & Chewy’s expects to enhance product offerings, improve existing customer connections and expand household penetration. The brand recently expanded into new retail channels to open up more access to its product lines.