Adapted from a press release:
Effective January 1, 2021, Nina Leigh Krueger will become the CEO and president of Nestlé Purina PetCare for the Americas. Krueger currently serves as President of Nestlé Purina PetCare U.S. The current CEO, Joseph R. Sivewright, will be appointed chairman of the dog, cat and other pet food and treat company.
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.
About new Purina PetCare CEO
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 for Nestlé Purina U.S., and became president of Nestlé Purina U.S., in 2016.
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.
About departing Purina PetCare CEO
After joining the company 35 years ago, Sivewright held progressively more senior roles in marketing of pet care, 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 US$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 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.
