STAMFORD, CONN. — On Dec. 21, the American Pet Products Association (APPA) announced the upcoming retirement of Steve King, president and chief executive officer of the organization.

King will retire on Dec. 31, 2021, and Andrew Darmohraj, executive vice president and chief operating officer, will serve as interim CEO until the APPA board finds a permanent replacement for King.

King first joined APPA in 2019 and has led the organization and its industry members through the trials and tribulations posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“As we all know, the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted every sector of the global economy,” King said. “Our industry has been faced with a number of challenges, but we remained resilient, ultimately resulting in a banner year of sales in 2020 and a positive outlook for 2021 and beyond. It has been an absolute honor and pleasure to work alongside some of the best and brightest in the industry during my tenure at APPA. I want to thank the entire team for their hard work during my time with the association and look forward to seeing all that APPA and the pet industry will continue to accomplish together for years to come.”

Before joining APPA in 2019, King served as president of the Pet Industry Distributors Association (PIDA), where he helped lead the effort to combine the former APPMA Show and PIDA Pets Show into what is now known as the pet industry’s premier event, Global Pet Expo. Today, APPA and PIDA partner each spring to host Global Pet Expo in Orlando, Fla.

“On behalf of the board of directors, I want to extend our sincerest gratitude to Steve for his leadership and commitment to APPA and wish him the best in retirement,” said Chuck Latham, chairman of the APPA board of directors and founder of H&C Animal Health. “We are confident that APPA is well-positioned to find the right candidate who understands the role and value of APPA to the pet care community. We look forward to the next chapter in APPA’s long history of growth and success.”

APPA represents nearly 1,000 pet product manufacturers and has built a robust network of industry companies throughout its 60-year history.

Read more about personnel changes throughout the industry.