Leadership changes at Petco include new COO

Petco Health and Wellness Company has made several key appointments to “further align its leadership team to activate Petco's strategy that puts the customer first.”

Petco has appointed Justin Tichy, chief pet care center officer, as chief operating officer, taking on additional responsibility for company-wide logistics including oversight of the company's distribution centers. He will continue to run Petco's 1,400-plus U.S. stores (“pet care centers”). Tichy succeeds Mike Nuzzo, COO and president of Services, who will be leaving Petco after more than seven years.

Other changes are below.

• Darren MacDonald, chief digital and innovation officer, is taking on an expanded role as chief customer officer. In this new role, he will lead customer-focused teams including his current digital team, as well as marketing, membership, loyalty, enterprise analytics/data science and customer service.  

• Amy College, chief merchandising officer, is taking on responsibility for demand planning. This move is designed to allow her and her teams to drive an even sharper, integrated view of product and customer demand.

• Jason Heffelfinger, senior VP services, has been promoted to chief services officer. He has been central to the build-out of the company's owned vet model, including the acquisition of its Thrive joint venture and smaller veterinary hospitals, and also has led the rapid acceleration of Petco's grooming business.

“These appointments and our organizational design are emblematic of our focus on putting the customer and data at the center of everything we do as we meet the customer need of a single partner for the health and wellness needs of their pet,” said Petco CEO Ron Coughlin. “It also manifests our dedication to driving operational excellence. Lastly, it highlights the tremendous talent we have at Petco and our focus on developing that talent.”

The appointments come as Petco has been expanding on several fronts, including opening a new format — Petco Neighborhood Farm & Pet Supply — that features health-and-wellness products and services for farm animals as well as traditional pets. In January, the company entered into a partnership with Lowe’s to open in-store Petco shops inside Lowe’s locations.