PetWise Inc. has named E. McDowell “Mac” Tillman has been named CEO, effective February 5.
As part of this appointment, Kevin Fick, who has served as CEO of PetWise since 2012, has been elevated to a new role with the company’s board of directors, where he will continue to work with Tillman and the company.
Tillman brings to PetWise more than 25 years of enterprise-level experience leading high-performing teams and driving brand growth in the consumer product goods and pet care industries. Tillman held roles at Big Heart Pet Brands and Del Monte Foods, and was most recently the CEO of Alete Active Nutrition, which he helped grow from one to four brands, tripling annual revenue in just three years.
Earlier in his career, Tillman held senior-level positions at CamelBak and Timberland, having started his career with Procter & Gamble. Prior to the corporate world, Tillman served honorably as a major in the United States Marine Corps, having earned his B.S. in general engineering from the U.S. Naval Academy. Tillman also holds an MBA from Cornell University.
“PetWise has a 30-year legacy of nurturing the special bond between pets and their families,” said Tillman. “In this new role, my focus will be to deepen those meaningful connections through innovative products and engaging brand experiences that are unique to PetWise's offerings. This is an exciting time to be joining this organization, and I am eager to collaborate with our talented team to chart a course together for our next phase of growth and market leadership.”
PetWise, which rebranded in Q4 2023 from Worldwise, has been led by Kevin Fick for nearly 12 years, during which time he worked to develop the company’s platform and portfolio, helped secure the strategic investment in the company from A&M Capital Partners (“AMCP”), worked with AMCP to execute several add-on acquisitions, and was a key figure in building the company’s overall reputation in the pet products sector.
Tillman will now build off these successes and focus PetWise’s go-forward strategy on partnering with PetWise’S existing customers, accelerating certain e-commerce initiatives, accelerating the growth of PetWise’s new Treatly brand, and leveraging powerful insights to deliver products that resonate with today’s pet-parents.
“It’s been a remarkable journey leading PetWise, but now it’s time for me to take the next step and join our board of directors, paving the way for new leadership to make their mark on this outstanding company,” said Fick. “I’m confident that under Mac’s leadership, PetWise will continue to flourish and succeed in the evolving landscape of the pet supplies market.”
