Kennelpak, the long-standing pet food wholesaler and European distributor, which encompasses omnichannel pet care specialist retailer Pets & Friends, has appointed james Langam as Chief Commercial Officer. James has been Managing Director of Natures Menu for the past three years, and as Commercial Director for the two years prior.

The Board role will see James directing and leading the growth strategy of Kennelpak's wholesale and distributor division. The role also includes responsibility for further strengthening the Pets & Friends product offer across the chain of specialist stores, ecommerce platforms and online subscription service. 

Since CEO Claire Bayliss' appointment in June 2021, her focus has been to set out the vision and long-term growth strategy for Kennelpak, building a new Board and Senior Leadership Team who will execute this strategy, of which James' appointment is key.

At Natures Menu James oversaw the company's most profitable years ever.

James said: “I am delighted to be joining Kennelpak at this exciting point in the evolution of the business. I look forward to working with Claire, the wider team and the customer and supply base to maximise the potential of Kennelpak in the market.”

The company, which has a head office in Nottinghamshire, was founded in 1974, and creates high quality pet food and product brands including Yakers, Collards and Dylan, with distribution across the UK and Europe. Kennelpak are also UK distributors for international brands such as Wellness CORE, Whimzees and Taste Of The Wild.

Kennelpak own Pets & Friends, a growing chain of specialist pet care retail stores and a highly rated ecommerce platform. Pets & Friends are dedicated to creating a community of happy, healthy pets and responsible pet parents by providing high levels of expertise, advice and services to its customers, alongside high-quality and great value pet food and products.

Speaking about James' appointment, the company's CEO Claire Bayliss said: “James joins us at a pivotal time as we invest significantly in both our Wholesale and Retail divisions. Over the last year, my focus has been to establish a brand-new management team to deliver profitable growth across the Kennelpak group, building on our heritage and expertise.”