• by Tanya Gazdik , September 26, 2018

Petco has a new CMO, Tariq Hassan, who most recently was an executive at Bank of America Merrill Lynch.

The company made the announcement this week, but Hassan actually joined the pet supplies retailer in July, according to his LinkedIn profile. The company did not respond to a request for comment as to why there was a delay in between the appointment and the announcement. 

Hassan has more than 20 years of global marketing experience in brand strategy, digital and performance marketing, communications, innovation and insights, according to Petco.

He served in global marketing roles and progressed through advertising assignments where he worked with brands including Pepsi, Gatorade, Frito Lay, Coors, Mars, Emirates, Cadillac, Mercedes-Benz, Johnson & Johnson and Visa. 

Petco has been without a CMO since August 2017. Before that, consultant Jodi Watson was acting CMO from October 2916 to August 2017.

In announcing the move on LinkedIn, Hassan called Petco “an amazing mission-driven brand with a focus on one thing, ‘Doing what’s right for your pet.’”

"During this pivotal time in the retail industry, we have a tremendous opportunity to focus our marketing, leveraging customer data and insights, to tap into the powerful relationship between people and their pets, create unique experiences and support them in ways that will ensure our success into the future,” Hassan says in a release.