SAN DIEGO — Petco Health and Wellness Company, Inc. announced the appointment of Joel D. Anderson to chief executive officer, effective July 29. Additionally, Anderson has been selected to also serve on Petco’s board of directors. 

Anderson has more than 30 years of experience and has operational discipline, merchandising skills and branding expertise, according to Petco. He most recently served as chief executive officer of Five Below, Inc., in which he led the company’s US expansion from 366 to more than 1,500 stores and e-commerce site launch, as well as optimized operations, enhanced productivity, and helped the retailer expand into new categories. During his time at Five Below, Anderson drove revenue growth from $500 million to more than $3.5 billion. 

Prior to Five Below, Anderson served as president and chief executive officer of Walmart.com, leading the unit from 2011 to 2014. Four years before that he served as divisional senior vice president of the Northern Plains division of Walmart, overseeing 100,000 associates and more than $25 billion in annual sales. 

“Joel is an inspirational leader and a highly experienced retail CEO,” said Glenn Murphy, executive chairman of Petco’s board of directors. “Over the course of his impressive career he has demonstrated the ability to build and lead great teams while creating significant shareholder value. I look forward to working closely with him as he leads Petco’s initiatives to improve operating and financial results.”

Anderson currently serves as a director of Sprouts Farmers Market. 

“I am excited to join Petco at a pivotal time as we reposition the business for a stronger future,” Anderson said. “Petco is the leader in pet health and wellness and I see many opportunities to improve performance. I look forward to working closely with Glenn, the leadership team, and the board of directors to create value for all our stakeholders.”

Following Anderson’s appointment, R. Michael Mohan will transition from the role of interim CEO, which he assumed in March, to chair of a new board committee at Petco. The committee will focus on creating value creation initiatives.

“On behalf of the board of directors, I extend our deepest gratitude to Mike for his dedication and leadership,” Murphy said. “He has made a meaningful impact as our interim CEO over the past few months, effectively stabilizing our operations and setting us on the path for continued improvements in performance.”

Read more about personnel changes throughout the industry.