NEW YORK — PetPlate has appointed Stephanie Arnold to its board. According to the brand, Arnold’s appointment will help significantly further its growth in brick-and-mortar retail.

PetPlate offers gently cooked, veterinarian-designed, human-grade dog food products. Previously, the brand was focused on direct-to-consumer (DTC) retail, but in 2021 it launched into independent pet stores through retail partnerships with Pet Supplies Plus and Independent Pet Partners. The brand is now focused on further expanding its in-store presence.

To support this, PetPlate has added Arnold, a pet industry advisor and consultant, to its board. Arnold previously served as chief growth officer of Nature’s Variety, now Instinct Pet Food, in which she expanded the company’s retail presence into independent pet specialty stores, as well as Petco, PetSmart, Amazon and Chewy.

“While PetPlate began as a DTC brand in 2016, both the brand and the retail industry have evolved so much,” said Renaldo Webb, founder of PetPlate. “Brands understand that even with an online presence, consumers will always love physical touchpoints with brick and mortar. We understand our customers and know the path forward includes further investment into retail. Stephanie’s background and experience directly support this goal.”

Prior to joining the pet industry, Arnold led Victorinox Swiss Army Travel Gear’s US division, expanding the brand through strategic retail partnerships with Macy’s, Bloomingdales, Nordstrom and REI.

Arnold’s combined retail and pet industry experience is expected to help support PetPlate as it seeks to serve more customers.

“Working with both larger brands and smaller startups to develop a retail growth strategy has been my main area of expertise for the past few decades,” Arnold said. “I’ve connected with both Renaldo and CEO Gertrude Allen in the past and I’m thrilled to be joining their diverse board of directors as we help propel PetPlate and the industry forward.”

Alongside Arnold’s appointment, PetPlate also shared its plans for Global Pet Expo 2023 from March 22 to 24 in Orlando, Fla. The brand will exhibit at booth #3872 and host two events, one showcasing Black-founded pet businesses on March 22, and another offering beer and wine pairings with its human-grade formulas on March 23.

Read more about personnel changes throughout the industry.