TEWKSBURY, Mass., August 24, 2021 – WellPet, LLC, the largest North America based independent branded premium natural pet food company, backed by Clearlake Capital Group L.P. (together with its affiliates, “Clearlake”), announced today the appointment of Nneka Rimmer to the company’s Board of Directors. She joins WellPet with more than 25 years of experience in the branded consumer products industry and specializes in global growth and go-to-market strategies, corporate transformation, leadership development and change management.
“What attracted me to this opportunity was WellPet’s collaborative culture and team of inventive thinkers who truly put pets at the center of all they do and create. I’m confident my deep experience within the consumer sector will help WellPet execute on its compelling value proposition to deliver superior products at the convergence of science and nature,” said Rimmer. “It’s an exciting time for WellPet and the pet food industry as a whole, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to help the company reach new heights by partnering with WellPet leadership and Clearlake to ultimately provide pet parents more nutritional innovation and convenience.”
Rimmer most recently served as President, Global Flavors and Extracts, at McCormick & Co. until April 2021. Prior to joining McCormick, Rimmer was the first African American female partner at the Boston Consulting Group (BCG), where she advised Fortune 100 C-suite executives on operational and commercial excellence. She was a member of BCG’s North America Leadership Team with a focus on consumer products and retail, the public sector, and strategy practices.
“Nneka’s impressive background in corporate development and strategic planning, as well as her experience in consumer goods and retail, makes her an invaluable addition to our Board of Directors,” said Reed Howlett, CEO of WellPet. “We are thrilled to welcome Nneka to the WellPet team as we continue to innovate and build on the company’s 100-year heritage as a pioneer in natural pet foods.”
“We see great opportunities working with Nneka and are confident her sector, managerial and corporate governance expertise will be a great addition to the WellPet Board of Directors. As WellPet continues to transform, expand and enter new categories in pursuit of its mission of delivering nutritional excellence for the growing population of pet parents, Nneka’s extensive background in strategic growth will be vital to the company,” said José E. Feliciano, Co-Founder and Managing Partner, and Arta Tabaee, Manager Director, at Clearlake. “We look forward to working closely with Nneka as we chart WellPet’s next chapter.”
Rimmer, who also sits on the boards of Energizer Holdings and the University of Maryland, Baltimore, will work closely with other board members and the senior leadership team as the company continues to expand into new, science-forward categories, introducing a new generation of pet parents to the benefits of premium natural nutrition with proven outcomes for a lifetime of wellbeing.
About WellPet, LLC:
WellPet, the largest North America based independent branded premium natural pet food company is home to premium pet food brands Wellness®, WHIMZEES®, Old Mother Hubbard®, Holistic Select®, Eagle Pack®, and Sojos®. For more than 100 years, WellPet has delivered on the promise of doing whatever it takes to make the healthiest natural products for the pets that depend on us. Today, our team of animal lovers, nutritionists, and veterinarians at WellPet are committed to carrying forth our strong heritage, continuing to find new ways to bring innovation, nutritional excellence, and product quality to our family of natural brands, always putting pet health first. For more information, visit www.wellpet.com.
About Clearlake:
Clearlake Capital Group, L.P. is an investment firm founded in 2006 operating integrated businesses across private equity, credit, and other related strategies. With a sector-focused approach, the firm seeks to partner with world-class management teams by providing patient, long term capital to dynamic businesses that can benefit from Clearlake’s operational improvement approach, O.P.S.® The firm’s core target sectors are consumer, technology, and industrials. Clearlake currently has approximately $39 billion of assets under management, and its senior investment principals have led or co-led over 300 investments. The firm has offices in Santa Monica and Dallas. More information is available at www.clearlake.com and on Twitter @ClearlakeCap.
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Media Contacts:
For WellPet
360PR+
Abby Campbell
acampbell@360pr.plus
857-300-6301
For Clearlake
Lambert & Co.
Jennifer Hurson
jhurson@lambert.com
845-507-0571