Freshpet, Inc. has announced updates to its Board of Directors, with Lauri Kien Kotcher joining the board and replacing Lawrence S. Coben, Ph.D. on the Nominating and Governance Committee. Ms. Kien Kotcher brings over three decades of operational and leadership experience at high-growth consumer companies, including serving as Chief Executive Officer of quip, The Shade Store, and Hello Products, as well as Chief Marketing Officer of Godiva Chocolatier.
With the addition of Ms. Kien Kotcher and the retirement of Dr. Coben, the Board is now comprised of 12 directors, eleven of whom are independent.
Freshpet's Chairman, Walter N. George, expressed his excitement in welcoming Lauri to the Board, citing her track record of growing and scaling businesses from early stage to over $5 billion in revenue. He believes her expertise will provide valuable perspective to the Board and management team as Freshpet continues to scale.
Dr. Coben, who has been a member of the Board since Freshpet’s IPO in 2014, expressed his confidence in Lauri’s ability to fill his role with her leadership experience and demonstrated track record of success. He stated that he is proud of what the Board has been able to accomplish, but now is a good time for him to step down in order to refresh the Board and continue to improve upon the director diversity.
Ms. Kien Kotcher joins the Board as a Class II director with a term expiring at the Company’s 2025 annual meeting and replaces Dr. Coben, who has retired from the Board and will not stand for reelection.
Freshpet's mission is to improve the lives of dogs and cats through the power of fresh, real food. The company's foods are blends of fresh meats, vegetables, and fruits farmed locally and made at their Freshpet Kitchens. The foods are available in select grocery, mass, club, pet specialty, natural, and digital retailers across the United States, Canada, and Europe.
The addition of Lauri Kien Kotcher to the Board brings a wealth of experience to Freshpet, and her appointment marks a significant change in the composition of the Board of Directors. As a result of these announcements, the company's shares have moved -0.0% on the market, and are now trading at a price of $112.75. Check out the company's full 8-K submission here.
