Page 7 - PET worldwide issue 1/2021

Personnel

The supervisory board of Zooplus has decided On 1 November, Kurt Bisping (photo) joined
to extend the appointment of chief operating Andreas Schulz and Kristof Eggerstedt in the
officer (COO) Dr Mischa Ritter for a further operational management team of the Das Fut-
term. The renewed appointment runs for a fur- terhaus corporate group, one of the leading
ther three years from 1 December 2021 to 30 pet retailers in Germany and Austria. In his role
November 2024, according to the company. he will be responsible for finance, personnel,
Dr Mischa Ritter has been a member of the legal affairs and contracts as well as supply
Zooplus board since December 2018. chain management. Kurt Bisping’s most recent appointment was
as COO at the Strategic Leadership Group, an international corpo-
Following restructuring in 2020, Karlie will start rate consultancy firm focusing on strategic and executive develop-
work with parent company Beeztees this year ment. He can look back on more than 15 years’ experience in the
management of retail and service companies.
on gearing its organisation to the future. Karlie
operates independently in the German-speaking After studying business management, Bisping embarked on his
markets with a portfolio that includes the Karlie, career in controlling at Arvato AG, a globally operational service
Beeztees and Designed by Lotte brands. Since company belonging to the Bertelsmann Group. He spent a number
the beginning of the year, Christian Meyer has of years as CFO for various subsidiaries in Germany and abroad,
latterly as managing director of a leading direct distribution organi-
assumed responsibility as head of key account management for working
sation with responsibility for customer business.
with store chains and independent speciality businesses in Germany
and Austria. He is also in charge of the key account team. Meyer has
been part of the marketing team at Karlie GmbH for nearly eight years. In a poll conducted annually, the French in-
dustry publication Animal Distribution Maga-
zine has chosen Ibrahim Mefire Kouotou, man-
A generational change is taking place at the Belgian pet product
company Vadigran. In July, the third generation of the Van Diest/ aging director of the Eheim Group, as Manager
Van Lathem family took over the reins of the family-run Belgian of the Year.
Eheim also received the “Trophée Coup de
company. The new CEO is Samuel Van Lathem, while his sister Yana
assumes the position of HR manager. Both have worked for their coeur de l’innovation” for its new, electroni-
parents’ company since 2016. Their grandparents, Paul Van Diest cally controlled “professional 5e” external filter. After achieving
and Adrienne De Dobbeleer, founded Vadigran in 1955. The com- success in two categories as Best Manufacturer of the Year in
pany has developed from its original form as a garden requisites 2018 and then taking the “Trophée d’argent” – the silver award –
for aquarium accessories last year, the company has now picked
company into a leading player in the Belgian pet supplies industry.
up a gold award for aquarium and pond accessories.
The executive board of the German Pet Trade
& Industry Association (ZZF) and advisory Tad Godsil has been appointed chief financial of-
board of the Wirtschaftsgemeinschaft Zoolo- ficer of Zesty Paws, the US supplement producer
gischer Fachbetriebe (WZF), which organises for pets. In this role, he will be responsible for stra-
the world-leading Interzoo trade show, have tegically overseeing finances and supporting the
appointed Gordon Bonnet as managing director growth and innovation of the company and its
of the association and its subsidiary WZF. The products. Prior to joining Zesty Paws, he held the
lawyer, business mediator and journalist was previously press of- position of CFO for Ancient Nutrition, where he pro-
ficer for the Frankfurt Chamber of Industry and Commerce before vided strategic planning and financial management for the organisation.
becoming head of corporate communications and board member He has more than ten years of experience in the field of fast-moving
at Wiesbaden’s chamber of industry and commerce. consumer goods and in the health, wellness and fitness industry.

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