PFI names 2027-2028 board officers
Bottom line
The Pet Food Institute has named its 2027-2028 board officers, with Reed Howlett, CEO of Wellness Pet Company, set to serve as chair. Other officers include Liz Mascolo, segment president, North America Pet at General Mills, as vice chair; Yvonne Hsu, president of Hill’s Pet Nutrition, as treasurer; Nicki Baty, president and COO of Freshpet, as secretary; and Scott Salmon, chief commercial officer at Simmons Foods, as immediate past chair. PFI announced the slate on October 22, 2026, saying the group will help guide its work on pet food quality and safety, advocacy, and education. (petfoodinstitute.org)
Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, PFI leadership changes are worth watching because the trade group represents companies that make most U.S. dog and cat food and treats, and it is active in policy, labeling, safety, nutrition education, and regulatory modernization efforts such as the PURR Act. Leadership priorities at PFI can influence how the industry engages with regulators, veterinarians, and pet parents on issues ranging from ingredient transparency to confidence in commercial diets. (petfoodinstitute.org)
What to watch: Watch for whether the new board signals any shift in PFI’s advocacy agenda in 2027, especially around pet food regulation, labeling, trade, and veterinary-facing education. (petfoodinstitute.org)
The Pet Food Institute, the main U.S. trade association for dog and cat food makers, has introduced its 2027-2028 board officers, putting Reed Howlett, CEO of Wellness Pet Company, in the chair role for the next term. The announcement, made October 22, 2026, also names Liz Mascolo of General Mills, Yvonne Hsu of Hill’s Pet Nutrition, Nicki Baty of Freshpet, and Scott Salmon of Simmons Foods to the officer slate. (petfoodinstitute.org)
The change comes during a broader leadership transition at PFI. Earlier this year, Elise Fennig became the group’s president and CEO, succeeding Dana Brooks, who had led the organization since 2018. In that February announcement, PFI said its members make the vast majority of dog and cat food and treats sold in the U.S., underscoring how much influence the association has in industry policy and public messaging. (petfoodinstitute.org)
According to PFI, the 2027-2028 officers are Reed Howlett, CEO of Wellness Pet Company, as chair; Liz Mascolo, segment president, North America Pet at General Mills, as vice chair; Yvonne Hsu, president of Hill’s Pet Nutrition, as treasurer; Nicki Baty, president and COO of Freshpet, as secretary; and Scott Salmon, chief commercial officer at Simmons Foods, as immediate past chair. In the announcement, Fennig said the officers’ experience would help guide PFI’s “next chapter” and support shared priorities around pet food quality and safety, advocacy, and education. (petfoodinstitute.org)
The officer list also reflects the current balance of power inside the U.S. pet food sector: large multinational brands, veterinary nutrition players, fresh food companies, and contract manufacturing all have a seat at the table. PFI’s board roster includes companies such as Mars Petcare, Nestlé Purina, Hill’s, Freshpet, General Mills’ Blue Buffalo business, Diamond Pet Foods, Royal Canin, Simmons Pet Food, and Wellness Pet Company. That breadth matters because PFI often serves as a collective industry voice on regulatory, labeling, trade, and safety issues. (petfoodinstitute.org)
There wasn’t much outside expert commentary available immediately, but the individual appointments line up with recent executive moves across the category. Freshpet, for example, has elevated Nicki Baty into the president role in 2026 while she continues as COO, and General Mills has positioned Liz Mascolo in a broader North America pet leadership role. Those appointments suggest PFI is drawing its officers from executives who are already shaping strategy at some of the industry’s most influential companies. (investor.freshpet.com)
Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, this is more than a routine trade association update. PFI is deeply involved in the policy and communications environment around commercial pet food, including food safety, labeling and regulations, market access, and veterinary and pet parent education. When its leadership changes, it can affect which issues get the most advocacy attention and how the industry frames conversations about nutrition, trust, transparency, and regulation. That’s especially relevant for clinicians who field pet parent questions about diet quality, ingredient sourcing, processing, and the role of commercial foods in preventive care. (petfoodinstitute.org)
PFI’s own materials show why the organization carries weight. It says its members account for most U.S.-made dog and cat food, representing more than $68 billion in domestic annual sales and more than $2.4 billion in exports, while employing more than 36,000 people in 34 states. In practical terms, that means board leadership at PFI can influence not only lobbying and regulatory engagement, but also the educational narratives that reach veterinarians, retailers, and pet parents. (petfoodinstitute.org)
What to watch: The next signal will be whether the 2027 business plan and policy agenda under this officer team puts added emphasis on regulatory modernization, federal advocacy, trade, or veterinary outreach. PFI has already highlighted priorities including pet food safety, labeling and regulations, global trade, sustainability, and the PURR Act, so the question for 2027 is less whether those issues remain central, and more which of them this leadership team chooses to push hardest. (petfoodinstitute.org)