KANSAS CITY, MO. — Three Dog Brands, LLC (TDB) announced the appointment of Kristi Ross to chief executive officer on March 6. Ross brings more than 25 years of leadership experience from the pet care and consumer packaged goods (CPG) industries to the role.

Prior to joining TDB, Ross most recently served as chief marketing officer at Targeted Petcare, a private equity-backed pet platform, where she directed marketing, e-commerce and new product development. Prior to that, Ross worked at Nestlé Purina, where she held various leadership positions and was responsible for marketing and sales.

Ross’ appointment follows TDB’s acquisition by Topspin Consumer Partners, a private equity firm, in June 2023. Jerry Dear, president of TDB, will continue to play a key leadership role. According to TDB, Dear has successfully grown the company during the past 11 years by establishing customer relationships, growing distribution and launching innovative products. Dear and Ross will continue to build upon this, supporting TDB through its next level of growth.

“Kristi is a proven leader known for building world class brands, finding new ways to go-to-market and leading high-performance teams to unlock growth,” said Ojas Vahia, partner at Topspin Consumer Partners. “Her impressive background and passion for the pet sector align perfectly with TDB’s vision for the future.”

Read more about personnel changes throughout the industry.