Named by PetWise Inc. E. McDowell “Mac” Tillman was 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 on 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 products and pet care industries. Tillman has held roles at Big Heart Pet Brands and Del Monte Foods, and most recently was 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 begun his career at Procter & Gamble. Prior to the corporate world, Tillman served honorably as a Major in the United States Marine Corps, earning his BS in General Engineering from the US 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 meaningful connections through innovative products and engaging brand experiences unique to PetWise’s offerings. It is an exciting time to join this organization, and I am eager to work 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, was led by Kevin Fick for nearly 12 years, where he worked to build the company’s platform and portfolio, helped secure strategic investment in the company from A&M Capital Partners (“AMCP” ), worked with AMCP to make several add-on acquisitions, and was instrumental in building the company’s overall reputation in the pet products sector.
Tillman will now build on these achievements and focus PetWise’s strategy going forward on partnering with existing PetWise customers, accelerating several e-commerce initiatives, accelerating the growth of PetWise’s new brand Treatly, and using powerful insights to deliver products that resonate with pet-parents.
“It’s been an amazing 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 the rest Company,” Fick said. “I am confident that under Mac’s leadership, PetWise will continue to thrive and succeed in the evolving landscape of the pet supplies market.”
