IRVINE, CALIF. — JustFoodForDogs (JFFD) announced the appointment of Eric Kufel as chairman and chief executive officer on Feb. 20. Kufel replaces Julian Mack, who will remain with the company as a member of its board of directors.
“We are pleased to have someone with Eric’s proven track record of leading high-growth businesses step in as CEO at this point in JFFD’s growth trajectory,” said Mack. “I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished over the past three years, and I’m grateful to our talented team for their hard work and dedication to pets and pet parents. Our team is what makes JustFoodForDogs special, and I look forward to spending more time at Unconditional, the senior and special needs dog shelter I founded with my wife, Amy, and continuing to support Eric and the team as member of the company. board.”
Kufel brings more than 25 years of executive leadership experience to his new role and has previously delivered significant growth for a range of consumer-focused brands. Currently, Kufel is a member of the board of directors at Leslie’s, a direct-to-consumer pool and spa care brand, where he supported the company in its successful 2020 public offering.
Kufel has served as chief executive officer of several subsidiary companies L Catterton’s portfolio includes Van’s Natural Foods and Corepower Yoga. He has also held several brand management roles at The Coco-Cola Company, Kellogg’s and Henkel. Prior to joining JFFD, Kufel served as chief executive officer of Inventure Foods for more than a decade.
L Catterton partnered with JFFD in 2017, giving the fresh, human-grade pet food company its experience in the pet industry. Through the partnership, L Catterton has helped enhance JFFD’s partnerships with key retailers and expand its distribution.
“As a lifelong dog owner, I admire JFFD’s dedication to improving and extending the lives of our trusted companions through the power of fresh, better-for-you food and am honored to join a organization whose values align with my own,” Kufel said. “My passion for health and wellness has made an instrumental impact in my personal life, and as I do myself, I am deeply committed to ensuring that my pets receive proper nutrition.
“I am happy to work with you L Catterton in this role and look forward to benefiting from his extensive industry expertise as we work together to capitalize on future opportunities for the brand,” he added. “I can’t wait to get started and do my part to help as many dogs as possible live longer, healthier lives through our science-backed and nutritious offerings.”
Under Mack’s leadership, JFFD continues to develop its omnichannel strategy across properties, multi-unit retail, e-commerce and wholesale partners, leading to significant topline growth, according to the company. The company plans to continue this by leveraging additional opportunities under Kufel’s new leadership.
“Eric is a highly strategic and respected leader, with significant multi-channel, multi-unit and brand marketing expertise,” said Matt Lischick, partner at L Catterton. “His successful track record of building best-in-class businesses gives us confidence that he is the right next leader to continue the strong momentum at JFFD.
“We thank Julian for his dedication to the brand and its customers and are delighted that we will continue to benefit from his insights as a member of our board,” he added. “Over the past several years, JFFD has accelerated sales, expanded its product assortment, and deepened relationships with key retailers and other partners. As we continue to see pet adoptions increase and pet parents prioritize high quality, better-for-you fresh ingredients, there are many opportunities for us to use Eric’s expertise to capitalize on the compelling opportunities ahead.”
Read more about personnel changes throughout the industry.
