Central Garden & Pet To Expand Board Of Directors, Nominates Two New Independent Directors, Courtnee Chun And Daniel P. Myers
WALNUT CREEK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Central Garden & Pet Company (NASDAQ: CENT, CENTA) (“Central”), a market leader in the garden and pet industries, today announced that it has nominated two new independent directors, Courtnee Chun and Daniel P. Myers, for election at the Company’s 2021 Annual Shareholder Meeting on February 9, 2021. On that day, Thomas P. Colligan will retire from the Company’s Board of Directors.
Their nomination follows the appointment of Brendan P. Dougher in September 2020, and the retirement of Jack Balousek, who had served on the Central Board of Directors for 19 years and was the Company’s lead independent director.
The Company is pleased to announce that Beth Springer, a veteran of the consumer products industry and Central Board member since 2013, has been appointed lead independent director.
“We would like to thank Jack Balousek and Tom Colligan for their significant contributions to Central Garden & Pet and many years of service on our Board,” said Bill Brown, Chairman of the Board of Central Garden & Pet. “We are pleased to nominate Courtnee Chun and Daniel Myers and look forward to their active participation. I am incredibly excited about the future – including the leadership of our CEO, Tim Cofer, and the new Central to Home strategy, which is a compelling roadmap to create shareholder value. To support our new strategy, we are adding expertise at both the management and Board levels.”
If elected, Ms. Chun and Mr. Myers would join the Company’s Board of Directors immediately after the annual meeting. Together with the Company’s other nominees, Central’s Board would be comprised of eleven directors.
Ms. Chun has more than 20 years of experience in corporate development and portfolio management in the telecommunications, media and technology sectors. She currently serves as Chief Portfolio Officer for Liberty Media Corporation, Qurate Retail, Inc., Liberty TripAdvisor Holdings, Inc. and Liberty Broadband Corporation. As Chief Portfolio Officer, Ms. Chun is responsible for monitoring and enhancing the operating performance of many of the Liberty portfolio companies and is the primary contact for investors, analysts and the press. Before joining Liberty Media in 2008, Ms. Chun served as Vice President Opportunity Development at Level 3 and Chief Financial Officer at New Global Telecom and prior to these roles received extensive transaction experience through corporate development work at FirstWorld Communications and investment banking at JP Morgan. Ms. Chun has broad based experience in a number of industries including eCommerce, media, technology and direct-to-consumer markets and a strong background in M&A, portfolio management and investor relations.
Mr. Myers has more than 40 years of experience in the consumer products industry building very successful global companies. He is currently an Operating Executive for the Carlyle Group and a Senior Fellow at Haslam School of Business at the University of Tennessee teaching as a guest lecturer for both graduate and undergraduate studies. Prior to this, he served for eight years as the Executive Vice President, Global Integrated Supply Chain for Mondelēz International and held the same title at Kraft Foods Inc., the predecessor to Mondelēz International, after joining that company in September 2011. Mr. Myers began his career at The Procter & Gamble Company, spending 33 years in roles across all areas of the supply chain leading global operations. During his career he has lived outside the United States for over 10 years, worked in over 50 countries, managed over 250 manufacturing plants and over 400 distribution centers. Mr. Myers has strong experience launching new brands, building operations in emerging markets and delivering winning, innovation leading major global expansions.
Mr. Dougher, who retired from PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (“PwC”) on September 30, 2020, held various positions over 36 years, including as Managing Partner of the New York Metro Region of PwC from July 2006 until June 2019 and most recently Managing Partner of the U.S. Cyber Security & Privacy Practice from January 2019 to September 2019. He also served on the extended leadership team of the firm’s U.S. Senior Partner and was elected to the firm’s governing Board of Partners and Principals and chaired its Governance Committee. Mr. Dougher is a Certified Public Accountant and a member of both the New York State and New Jersey State Society of Certified Public Accountants and is also a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.
About Central Garden & Pet
Central Garden & Pet (NASDAQ: CENT, CENTA) understands that home is central to life and has proudly nurtured happy and healthy homes for over 40 years. With 2020 net sales of $2.7 billion, Central is on a mission to lead the future of the pet and garden industries. The Company’s innovative and trusted products are dedicated to help lawns grow greener, gardens bloom bigger, pets live healthier and communities grow stronger. Central is home to a leading portfolio of more than 65 high-quality brands including Pennington, Nylabone, Kaytee, Amdro and Aqueon, strong manufacturing and distribution capabilities and a passionate, entrepreneurial growth culture. Central Garden & Pet is based in Walnut Creek, California and has over 6,300 employees across North America and Europe. For additional information about Central, please visit the Company’s website at www.central.com.