Bark adds 2 pet industry veterans to C-suite

Dive Brief:

• Pet brand Bark on Wednesday announced it has added two executives with pet industry experience, according to a company press release. Michael Black has been tapped as chief revenue officer and general manager of consumables, and Michael Parness is the new chief marketing officer and general manager of play.
• Black’s experience includes a stint at premium pet brand Outward Hound as its CEO and, before that, as its chief revenue officer. Parness previously served as chief marketing officer at fresh dog food brand JustFoodForDogs and held the same role at Outward Hound earlier, where he worked closely with Black.
• Both hires will report directly to Bark co-founder and CEO Matt Meeker.

Dive Insight:

Bark, known for its BarkBox and Super Chewer subscription boxes, has turned to industry veterans as it fills out its C-suite.

“We are thrilled to elevate our leadership team with the addition of two proven leaders who bring a wealth of experience across the pet, e-commerce, and retail sectors,” Meeker said in a statement. “Together, we believe these additions will be instrumental in raising awareness of our mission and driving multi-channel, cross-category growth.”

Black, in Meeker’s words, has a track record of “delivering omnichannel growth across the pet sector.” He previously led Outward Hound through a digital transformation and years of growth. Aside from Outward Hound, Black has experience as a senior buyer of pet accessories at Walmart, and most recently served as the founder and president of Paragon International Advisors, a consulting firm focused on partnering with private equity investors in the pet industry. In his new role at Bark, Black will lead Bark’s consumables strategy, both for its DTC and retail channels.

Parness on the other hand will oversee the company’s growth in the play category and help the brand expand its reach. He arrives at Bark with three decades of experience in retail, including the pet sector. In his role at JustFoodForDogs, Parness helped drive growth across the brand’s direct-to-consumer, e-commerce and owned retail channels.

The new hires come as Bark faces financial challenges. In its most recent quarter, Bark reported Q3 net revenue fell about 7% year over year to $125.1 million, with DTC revenue falling 7.6% and wholesale revenue falling 0.6%.

The company in November also received a notice from the New York Stock Exchange because it had fallen out of compliance with the continued listing requirements. However, in March the retailer said it had regained compliance.