Petco Animal Supplies Inc. is turning to the technology world for new leadership.
The privately held San Diego company named Ron Coughlin, a former executive with HP Inc., as its chief executive, effective June 18.
Coughlin succeeds Brad Weston, who is leaving to pursue other opportunities. Weston had been CEO since January 2017 and spent the previous five years as president and chief merchandising officer.
Coughlin brings 15 years of C-suite executive experience to his new job at the pet supply retail chain. He spent the last four years leading HP’s Personal Systems segment and previously held other senior vice president posts at HP. Prior to joining the computer maker, Coughlin spent 12 years at PepsiCo.
“Ron has outstanding leadership experience with a consistent track record of driving strong growth and transformation at consumer-facing organizations,” Christopher Stadler, managing partner of CVC Capital Partners, said in a prepared statement. CVC Capital is a major investor in Petco.
“For the last 25 years, [Coughlin] has worked closely with the world’s top physical and online retailers. We are very pleased to have the opportunity to work with Ron, and we are excited about what his involvement will mean for the future of Petco.”
Petco’s other major owner is the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board.
Petco operates more than 1,500 Petco and Unleashed by Petco locations across the United States and Mexico.
