Mars Bolsters Digital Petcare Team With Jessica Hauff and Travis Reaves
Mars Inc. boosted its Pet Nutrition North America leadership team with the addition of two new digital hires, a pair of notable additions as the pet category experiences record growth.
Jessica Hauff has been named general manager of e-commerce at Mars Petcare, a new role for the company, while Travis Reaves will join as VP, strategy and growth transformation.
The pet industry is tallying record annual sales, crossing the $100 billion mark in 2020 in the United States, according to the American Pet Products Association. The industry trade association forecasts 5.8% growth for this year, which is above the historic 3-4% annual growth, with increases expected in every retail channel — “especially e-commerce.”
Both Mars Petcare roles will be critical in driving the company’s purpose, said Ikdeep Singh, regional president, Mars Pet Nutrition North America. "They each bring unique and extensive experiences to our team I'm confident will help us meet the needs of even more pet parents by leveraging the power of digital, data and analytics."
Most recently senior VP e-commerce acceleration and data activation at L’Oreal, Hauff has 15 years of experience building and transforming digital and e-commerce channels in both the U.S. and Europe. Previous roles at L’Oreal include VP, digital marketing, and AVP, digital marketing, content marketing and social media strategy.
Hauff will lead agile teams of cross-functional associates to accelerate the company's e-commerce presence and online business.
“I'm very excited to be joining Mars Petcare, a company that is focused on delivering its purpose and also passionate about the power of people and data to drive business results, said Hauff. “Digital continues to transform the way that we connect with consumers — and it's no different for pet parents — I'm looking forward to partnering with associates across our business to help accelerate our digital commerce aspirations."
Reaves, meanwhile, joins from Tractor Supply Company, where he served as VP, strategy and development. He will be tasked with short- and long-term strategy development, inorganic growth, and Mars Petcare's analytics and insights capabilities.
Reaves led mergers and acquisitions and long-range strategy development at Tractor Supply. He also spent six years in strategy consulting with McKinsey & Company, advising consumer companies on strategy, revenue growth management, and other growth and commercial topics.
"I was drawn to Mars Petcare and the category for a number of reasons — from the company's purpose-driven, long-term approach to build for the next generation, to the exciting category growth and the important role it plays in pet and pet parent lives," Reaves said. "I'm honored to be a part of the team, and look forward to the opportunity to help transform the way we partner with pet parents."
