ROSYTH, EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND — Bella & Duke, a Scottish subscription-based raw pet food brand, announced a key leadership change on Jan. 23. James Sturrock joins the company as chief executive officer, succeeding Mark Scott, former CEO and co-founder, who will move to a non-executive director role, according to the company.

“Since starting Bella & Duke with Tony [Ottley] back in 2016, it has been a long but incredibly rewarding experience seeing our vision grow year on year, and I will still be heavily involved in the business,” Scott said. “As a business that is purpose-led, with an incredible team and loyal community, it was really important to us to protect that, which is why James was the perfect choice with his excellent experience and customer centric approach. This is an incredibly exciting time for the business, and I’m delighted to be welcoming James to Bella & Duke as we embark on our next chapter.”

According to Bella & Duke, the company provided more than 15 million meals to pet owners across the United Kingdom in 2023. In the coming year, the brand hopes to build its customer base and continue consumer education on the benefits of raw feeding.

Sturrock comes to Bella & Duke from Tapi Carpets & Floors, where he led significant growth and digital transformation, according to Bella & Duke. He brings past experience growing disruptor brands, including Moonpig and Eve Sleep.

“Joining Bella & Duke and taking on the role of chief executive is a privilege and incredibly exciting,” Sturrock said. “It has been fantastic to witness the growth of the company in the past seven years… and my role will focus on building on this momentum.

“Having started my Spaniel on Bella & Duke and seeing the health improvements firsthand, I’m excited to get the message out to other pet owners about the benefits of raw nutrition, attracting new customers to the category, and building on our incredible loyal community,” he added. “I’ve always been an advocate of finding improved solutions to consumer problems, so joining Bella & Duke to educate pet owners on the benefits of raw feeding and changing perceptions felt like a perfect fit.”

Since its founding in 2016, Bella & Duke has grown from a two-person team to more than 133 employees. The brand holds several accolades, including being listed among the Most Ambitious Business Leaders in the United Kingdom through the 2023 LDC Top 50 List, as well as earning the title of Manufacturer of the Year 2023 from the Pet Industry Federation Awards.

The company manufactures a range of raw dog food, raw cat food, and natural dog and cat treats made with human-grade ingredients in-house in the United Kingdom.

Read more about personnel changes throughout the industry.