Lintbells, the leader in premium natural pet supplements and home of YuMOVE, the number one clinically proven veterinary joint supplement brand, has announced that Fiona Hope, chief commercial officer, will step into the CEO role from the beginning of February. This will enable Lintbells co-founder and current CEO, Dr John Howie, DL, to put greater focus on Lintbells’ exciting pipeline of new products, as well as longer term innovation and sustainability goals.
John has steered the business to achieve many incredible milestones from the company’s inception in 2006, including becoming the UK’s number one joint supplement brand, receiving numerous regional and national awards, including the Queen’s Enterprise Awards for Innovation and International Business, and developing the business from a UK start-up to a multinational pet health company.
Fiona is an experienced general manager and commercial leader, and has been chief commercial officer at Lintbells for the last three and a half years. Prior to Lintbells she held several senior positions at brands including Coca-Cola, Greene King, Whirlpool and a five-year tenure at then private equity backed SodaStream as managing director.
Her focus will be to continue the rapid growth of Lintbells’ brands across key markets, including the UK and US, while John will focus on driving the company’s ambitious innovation pipeline, delivering the founding mission of keeping our pets active for life.
Dr John Howie, co-founder and outgoing CEO, comments on Fiona’s appointment: “Lintbells started with scientific curiosity and a determination to bring products to market that make a genuine difference to pet health. Over recent years this has developed into a passion and a mission to ensure pets have an active life, for life.
“Lintbells is a fantastic success story and I’m proud of what we have achieved as a team. When Fiona Hope joined us three and a half years ago, I knew she had the potential to succeed me and now’s the time for her to do just that.
“Fiona is a super-talented individual, as she has proved with the exceptional success of the company over the past couple of years, so I had no hesitation in recommending Fiona succeed me as CEO of Lintbells. I have absolute trust that Fiona is going to do a brilliant job leading Lintbells into an exciting future, and I’m looking forward to working with her on the next phase of the Lintbells journey.”
Fiona Hope comments on her appointment: “It’s an absolute privilege to take on the role of Lintbells CEO. The Lintbells team is a community of brilliant contributors who share our ambitious business and pet health goals. Everyone here lives the company’s mission, values and ethics, and that’s the business John has created.
“It’s an exciting time for the business as we expand globally and continue to grow our UK business exponentially, and I look forward to leading the fantastic team at Lintbells to even more success.”
