IRVINE, CALIF. — JustFoodForDogs (JFFD), a leader in the fresh human-grade pet food market, announced the appointment of Jeff Siegel as the company’s chief growth officer, effective immediately.  Siegel will lead efforts to further accelerate brand expansion and increase market share with existing and new retail partners in the pet specialty, mass, grocery and club channels.

JFFD joined the fresh pet food market in 2010, introducing the first open-to-the-public kitchen cooking food for dogs, according to the company. It offers daily meals, shelf-stable products, supplements, treats and custom formulations designed to address specific health needs in pets.

“With his extensive sales experience in consumer-packaged goods and major leadership roles within both pet food and frozen food brands, Jeff’s industry knowledge makes him uniquely qualified to drive revenue growth and long-term market positioning for JustFoodForDogs,” said Eric Kufel, chief executive officer, JFFD. “Jeff will be instrumental in showcasing our product innovation while managing our retail channel growth strategy and building upon our existing momentum as one the largest human-grade fresh pet food brands across all retail channels.”

Siegel brings more than 35 years of experience, including more than 16 years of sales leadership responsibility at Nestlé Purina North America, where he served as vice president of sales for over eight years. Most recently, he served as chief customer officer at Red’s All Natural and Stuffed Puffs LLC, where he executed sales development strategies across a variety of emerging brands.

“As a longtime pet parent and pet lover, and a huge proponent of the benefits of fresh food, I am excited to contribute to the mission of providing top-quality products to extend the lives of our pets,” Siegel said. “By working closely with our retail customers, I look forward to expanding the accessibility of these exceptional products, ultimately improving the lives of pets everywhere.”

Read more about personnel changes throughout the industry.