Kincannon & Reed adds former PFI chief Dana Brooks Christy
Bottom line
Kincannon & Reed has hired former Pet Food Institute President and CEO Dana Brooks Christy as a managing director, adding a senior pet food and agriculture policy leader to its executive search business. The firm said Brooks Christy will advise clients on executive search and leadership needs across food and agriculture, drawing on nearly three decades of experience in government affairs, trade associations, and industry advocacy. Most recently, she led PFI, the Washington, D.C.-based trade group representing most U.S. dog and cat food and treat makers, and had announced in October 2025 that she would step down in April 2026 after more than seven years in the role. (linkedin.com)
Why it matters: For veterinary professionals and industry leaders, the move puts a well-known pet food policy and regulatory voice into a talent advisory role at a firm that recruits senior executives across animal health, nutrition, and agribusiness. Brooks Christy’s background spans pet food regulation, stakeholder engagement, and board leadership, which could make her particularly influential in helping companies hire leaders who can navigate scrutiny around food safety, public affairs, and the human-animal bond. (krsearch.com)
What to watch: Watch for whether Brooks Christy’s arrival signals deeper Kincannon & Reed activity in pet food, animal health, and association leadership recruiting. (krsearch.com)
Kincannon & Reed has named former Pet Food Institute chief Dana Brooks Christy as managing director, bringing one of the pet food sector’s most visible trade association leaders into executive search. In the role, Brooks Christy will support clients on executive recruitment and leadership strategy, with Kincannon & Reed highlighting her experience in food and agriculture, public affairs, and organizational leadership. (linkedin.com)
The appointment follows a leadership transition that had been in motion for months. In October 2025, PFI announced that Brooks Christy would step down in 2026 after leading the organization since 2018, saying she would remain through April 2026 while the group searched for a successor. During her tenure, she became a prominent industry advocate on pet food regulation, food safety, supply chain issues, and broader policy questions affecting manufacturers. (petfoodinstitute.org)
Kincannon & Reed’s profile for Brooks Christy emphasizes expertise in agribusiness, animal health and nutrition, associations, organizational strategy, regulatory and government affairs, and stakeholder engagement. In a LinkedIn announcement, Brooks Christy said the role brings together the core threads of her career, including food and agriculture, association leadership, government affairs, and people leadership. Kincannon & Reed said her firsthand experience leading through regulatory, scientific, and reputational challenges gives her insight into what organizations need from senior executives. (linkedin.com)
That framing matters because Brooks Christy’s career has extended well beyond trade association management. PFI said before joining the institute, she held government relations roles at Land O’Lakes, Elanco Animal Health, the National Milk Producers Federation, and the American Farm Bureau Federation. That mix of animal health, agriculture, and policy experience likely broadens the kinds of searches she may touch, especially as companies seek leaders comfortable operating across regulatory, scientific, and public-facing environments. This is an inference based on her stated background and Kincannon & Reed’s sector focus. (petfoodinstitute.org)
Public reaction so far has been mostly professional and supportive rather than controversial. Brooks Christy’s own post described the move as a “next chapter,” while Kincannon & Reed called attention to her ability to help organizations identify leaders with sound judgment and trust-building skills. Although no outside analyst commentary was readily available in the reporting reviewed, the messaging from both sides suggests the firm sees her as more than a sector specialist; it’s positioning her as someone who understands how leadership decisions play out under regulatory and reputational pressure. (linkedin.com)
Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, this is a people move with wider industry implications. Executive search firms can shape which backgrounds and competencies rise to the top in pet food and animal health leadership pipelines. A recruiter with deep experience in pet food advocacy and regulation may place greater emphasis on fluency in compliance, food safety, stakeholder communication, and cross-functional leadership, all of which affect how manufacturers, suppliers, and trade groups interact with veterinarians and pet parents. (petfoodinstitute.org)
The move also reflects how closely connected the pet food, animal health, and agriculture talent markets have become. Companies facing pressure from regulation, ingredient sourcing concerns, scientific scrutiny, and consumer trust issues often need leaders who can move comfortably between operations, policy, and communications. Brooks Christy’s transition from trade association leadership into executive search is a reminder that sector expertise itself is becoming a recruiting asset. This is an inference supported by Kincannon & Reed’s stated practice areas and Brooks Christy’s background. (petfoodinstitute.org)
What to watch: The next signal will be whether Kincannon & Reed expands its visible work in pet food and animal health leadership recruitment, and whether Brooks Christy becomes a public voice on talent strategy in sectors where veterinary, regulatory, and consumer expectations increasingly overlap. (krsearch.com)