The Pets at Home Foundation has announced the appointment of Robert Kent as Chair, taking over the role from Louise Stonier, who has successfully led the charity for over 15 years and has recently been appointed as Chief Operating Officer of the Vet Group, Vets4Pets.

A highly experienced leader, Robert joined Pets at Home in 2018 as Chief Data Officer and is a well-established member of the Group Executive. Since joining the Group, Robert has created a data and analytics capability from scratch, underpinning the business’ strategy to use data to better serve customers. He is passionate about using insight to drive decision making and will be applying his experience and expertise to support the Foundation’s ambitions.

The Pets at Home Foundation is the largest grant giver to UK animal rescues and has raised over £45m since it was established in 2006, supporting over 750 organisations and donating over £3.5m in the last year alone. It acts as an integral lifeline for charities who carry out invaluable work supporting pets and the people who love them, and aligns its efforts with the Pets at Home Group’s wider mission to promote and protect the highest standards of animal welfare across the country.

Robert said: “I am thrilled to be joining the Pets at Home Foundation as Chair. It is a wonderful charity that understands the difference pets make to people’s lives and works tirelessly to create a better world for pets and the people who love them.

"Under Louise’s guidance, the team have achieved some incredible milestones and I am excited to have the opportunity to take over the baton, to work alongside the team and Trustees, and to help shine a light on the incredible work they do.”