Scott Morris co-founded Freshpet 20 years ago. On October 20, 2026, the company’s 20th anniversary, he will hand off his operating duties and become an advisor.
Freshpet (Nasdaq: FRPT), the refrigerated pet food maker based in Bedminster, New Jersey, announced the change on June 24, 2026. Morris, the company’s president, will stay available as an advisor for 18 months after the transition.
Who takes over
Nicki Baty, now chief operating officer, becomes president. She joined Freshpet two years ago under a succession plan. As President and COO she will keep reporting to Chief Executive Officer Billy Cyr, and she will oversee commercial operations and the supply chain.
Morris’s innovation work goes to a Chief Innovation Officer, a new role. The announcement did not name anyone for it.
Thembi Machaba, the chief human resources officer, was promoted on the spot to a second job as chief administrative officer. She now also looks after sustainability initiatives, community relations, property management, corporate security and key management processes.
Freshpet said the succession plan has been underway for several years.
What the executives said
Board Chair Walter George credited Morris heavily. “It is impossible to overstate the contributions and impact that Scott has had on the Freshpet business over the past 20 years,” he said.
Cyr called Morris’s drive to innovate “instrumental in making Freshpet what it is today” and said the team is “experienced and highly capable of continuing to deliver growth and innovation.”
Morris described the venture in simple terms. “We simply wanted to build the kind of pet food company we wished existed,” he said of the start. Of the years since: “Freshpet has been an amazing adventure.” He said he plans to stay supportive in the years ahead.
Cathal Walsh, a co-founder and managing director of Europe, said he and Morris had shared “the challenges, setbacks, risks and victories that come with building a company from scratch.”
The business he leaves
Morris, Walsh and John Phelps started the company on the idea that dogs and cats deserve fresh, real food. It now reports more than one billion dollars in annual sales, one of the top five dog food brands in the United States, three manufacturing kitchens and approximately 1,300 employees worldwide.
Last year Freshpet opened a Commercial Center of Excellence in Bedminster, designed primarily by Morris. It has environmentally sustainable features, dog daycare and employee amenities.
Sources
- Freshpet Marks 20-Year Milestone with Planned Leadership Transition
- Freshpet Marks 20-Year Milestone with Planned Leadership Transition
