ST. LOUIS, Nov. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Nestlé Purina
PetCare today announced that effective January 1, 2021, Joseph
R. Sivewright will transition from his position as Chief
Executive Officer, Nestlé Purina PetCare for the Americas, and will
be appointed Chairman. Succeeding Sivewright will be
Nina Leigh Krueger, who will become
the CEO and President of Nestlé Purina PetCare for the
Americas. Krueger currently serves as President of Nestlé
Purina PetCare U.S.
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Krueger, a 27-year Purina veteran, will become the eighth CEO in
company history, and Purina's first female CEO. Sivewright
has served as Nestlé Purina for the Americas CEO since 2015 and has
been a major part of the Ralston Purina and Nestlé Purina success
since joining the company in 1985.
"Joe's depth of experience, sound judgment and ability to
skillfully lead a large organization has led to amazing growth and
has Purina positioned for a bright future," said Nestlé Zone
Americas CEO Laurent Freixe. "Nina
Leigh's business acumen, exceptional leadership and
communication skills, and ability to bring out the best in people
make her the ideal successor to guide Purina for years to
come."
After joining the company 35 years ago, Sivewright held
progressively more senior roles in Marketing on PetCare, cereals
and new products. He was appointed Vice President in 1995
with roles in global marketing, and he served in the Global
Strategic Business Unit after the 2001 acquisition of Ralston
Purina by Swiss-based Nestlé S.A.
Sivewright became the leader of Nestlé Purina PetCare Latin America in 2004 and turned
the business around from a net loss operation to high growth and
profitability.
Sivewright was appointed President of Nestlé Purina North America in 2011, and since then the
company's sales have risen 30 percent to $9.4 billion in 2019. During that time,
Sivewright has led a number of significant transformations of the
Purina business, including the acquisition of Merrick Pet Care in
2015 and building a robust e-commerce business that has delivered
significant growth.
Purina PetCare in the Americas was a strong contributor to
Nestlé's overall performance during this period.
Nestlé Purina recently has added three new factories to its
U.S.-based manufacturing footprint. The company opened a new
wet pet food factory in Hartwell,
Georgia, in November 2019. This year, the company has
announced the construction of two new dry pet food facilities in
Eden, North Carolina, and
Williamsburg Township, Ohio.
By 2023, the company will manufacture high-quality pet food, treats
and cat litter at 23 U.S. factories.
Purina has developed many science-based nutritional innovations
for pets under Sivewright, including Purina Pro Plan LiveClear,
which reduces cat allergens; Purina Pro Plan Bright Mind, which
improves cognition in older dogs; Tidy Cats LightWeight Litter; and
Beyond natural pet food.
Sivewright has guided the company to adopt a more agile culture,
resulting in a leaner, faster and more competitive
organization. Throughout this time, Nestlé Purina has
remained one of the "best places to work" as rated by several
St. Louis and national
organizations, including the Glassdoor website.
In his role as Chairman, Sivewright's primary responsibility
will be to manage a smooth transition with Krueger, and to provide
strategic and operating support. Additionally, he will remain
engaged with Purina's strategic sustainability initiatives and
leading conservation partners and NGOs.
Krueger started her career at Ralston Purina in 1993 as a Brand
Management intern before moving to the cat food marketing team the
following year. After Nestlé purchased the company in 2001,
she led the marketing integration for the Nestlé Purina team.
After several more successful years in pet food marketing, she
moved to the Cat Litter division and was promoted to Vice President
of Marketing in 2010. There she led several noteworthy
innovations that drove growth in the business, particularly Tidy
Cats LightWeight Litter. The Litter division is now a growth
driver for Nestlé Purina.
In 2015, Krueger was named Chief Marketing Officer, Nestlé
Purina U.S., and became President, Nestlé Purina U.S., in
2016.
"Nina Leigh is the perfect choice
to lead this company into a winning future," Sivewright said.
"Throughout her 27-year Purina career, she has played a vital role
in our many successes during a time of great complexity in the pet
care business. She has a proven track record of bringing innovation
to market and leading key global brands and initiatives.
"In addition, Nina Leigh has an
established history of leadership, getting the very best from our
associates while keeping our Purina culture top of mind."
A 1983 graduate of Miami
(Ohio) University with a Bachelor of
Science degree in Marketing, Krueger earned a Master of Business
Administration from Washington
University's Olin School of Business in 1994. In 2017,
she was honored with a Distinguished Alumni Award from the Olin
School. Krueger, a native of Louisville, Kentucky, lives in the
St. Louis area with her
family.
"I truly am honored by this opportunity," Krueger said. "I look
forward to working with our Purina team to accelerate our strong
momentum and to build on our more than 90-year history of making
science-based dog and cat foods, treats and cat litter that pet
owners trust. We will continue to run our business safely and
provide consumers with high-quality nutrition that helps pets live
longer, healthier lives."
About Nestlé Purina PetCare
Nestlé Purina PetCare
creates richer lives for pets and the people who love them. Founded
in 1894, Purina has helped dogs and cats live longer, healthier
lives by offering scientifically based nutritional innovations.
Purina manufactures some of the world's most trusted and popular
pet care products, including Purina ONE, Pro Plan, Fancy Feast and
Tidy Cats.
Our more than 8,000 U.S. associates take pride in our trusted pet
food, treat and litter brands that feed 49 million dogs and 66
million cats every year. More than 500 Purina scientists,
veterinarians, and pet care experts ensure our commitment to
unsurpassed quality and nutrition.
Purina promotes responsible pet care through our scientific
research, our products and our support for pet-related
organizations. Over the past five years, Purina has contributed
more than $150 million towards
organizations that bring, and keep, people and pets together, as
well as those that help our communities and environment
thrive.
Purina is part of Nestlé, a global leader in Nutrition, Health
and Wellness. For more information,
visit purina.com or subscribe here to get the
latest Purina news.
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SOURCE Nestlé Purina PetCare