Press
Release

SAN DIEGO, June 3, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Petco announced Darren MacDonald will join the company as Chief Digital and Innovation Officer, effective June 10. Darren will be responsible for overseeing all aspects of the company's digital business, including e-commerce, the Petco App, prescription fulfillment and a growing employer wellness benefits offering, while driving a continued focus on incubating new ideas and furthering innovation across the company.

"Petco is committed to delivering an elevated omnichannel experience for pet parents," said Petco CEO Ron Coughlin. "Darren's impressive background in digital strategy and e-commerce growth will be an incredible asset to the Petco leadership team, as we continue to power innovative digital platforms to create an unparalleled experience for our customers."  

MacDonald brings 20 years of global digital strategy and business development experience to Petco, and has served in senior roles with Walmart, IAC and Avery Dennison Corporation.

"It's a transformational time in the world of retail and I'm honored to be joining the Petco team at this stage of the company's reinvention," said MacDonald. "Petco is a powerful brand with a track record of thought leadership, exemplified most recently by its bold decision to remove artificial ingredients from dog and cat food and treats. Today's omnichannel shopper expects a best-in-class digital experience – I'm excited to help accelerate growth and innovation within Petco and the retail category as a whole."

Prior to joining Petco, MacDonald managed Walmart's US e-commerce entertainment business where he grew market share and oversaw merchandising, planning, supply chain, marketing, business development, site experience, finance, human resources, product and engineering teams. He also launched two entirely new business lines within the company's digital entertainment division, and developed and launched three new private label brands. Additionally, MacDonald was the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Ingress Capital Incorporated, where he conceived and built an online private placement marketplace that raised millions of dollars for high-quality issuing companies from a network of high-net worth and institutional investors. Prior to that, he was CEO of the Pronto Network for IAC where he developed the web's most trafficked shopping comparison engine of its time.

MacDonald holds a bachelor's degree from the University of California, Berkeley and a master's degree in business administration from the University of California, Los Angeles. He will be based at Petco's National Support Center in San Diego and report directly to Coughlin. For more information about Petco, visit petco.com.

About Petco and the Petco Foundation
Petco is a leading pet specialty retailer with more than 50 years of service to pet parents. Everything we do is guided by our vision for Healthier Pets. Happier People. Better World. We operate more than 1,500 Petco and Unleashed by Petco locations across the U.S., Mexico and Puerto Rico; complete pet care services and veterinary advice through PetCoach; and petco.com. The Petco Foundation, an independent nonprofit organization, has invested more than $250 million since it was created in 1999 to help promote and improve the welfare of companion animals. In conjunction with the Foundation, we work with and support thousands of local animal welfare groups across the country and, through in-store adoption events, help find homes for more than 400,000 animals every year.   

SOURCE Petco