General Mills has tapped the head of its largest division to also take charge of its formerly fast-growing pet business.
Dana McNabb, president of North America retail at the Golden Valley-based food giant, will add oversight of North America pet starting June 1.
The move follows the March departure of Jon Nudi, who had a brief stint leading the pet business following years as the boss of the $12 billion North America retail business. Nudi, a 32-year veteran, left to become CEO at home construction materials company Masco Corp., where he had served on the board of directors since 2023.
Liz Mascolo, current pet segment president, will remain in her role and report to McNabb.
“Dana brings a strategic rigor to all that she does, and I’m confident that she will grow the pet segment through remarkable consumer experiences and bring new innovations to the market as well,” CEO Jeff Harmening said in a news release.
The additional responsibilities add to a rapid rise for McNabb, who was named retail chief 18 months ago after serving as chief strategy and growth officer since 2021. She previously led the Europe and Australia business and oversaw the company’s U.S. cereal business as it took the market-share crown from rival Kellogg.
General Mills’ $8 billion bet on pet food-maker Blue Buffalo, which it acquired in 2018, has largely paid off as the “humanization” of pet food makes pet parents more willing to splurge for premium brands. Since that acquisition, and with help from several other pet food additions, pet sales doubled to $2.4 billion in 2023 but declined to $2.3 billion last year.
Consumers have soured on higher prices for human food, meanwhile, and General Mills is selling less of it as a result.
