Mars appoints new petcare leaders in UK&I and the Nordics
Since joining the graduate programme at Mars in 2009, McGrath has built broad experience across supply chain, marketing, and sales
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Mars has announced the appointment of two general managers for its petcare business, Nick Foster as Mars Pet Nutrition UK, Ireland and Nordics GM and James McGrath who has expanded his responsibilities to include Royal Canin UK and Ireland.
Foster was previously general manager at Royal Canin UK and Ireland, while McGrath was previously Royal Canin Nordics general manager.
In his time at Royal Canin, Foster spearheaded a digital acceleration programme, developing the capabilities of the team, building digital platforms and accelerating growth with ecommerce partners.
He is an alumnus of the graduate programme at Mars, which he joined in 2006, initially with Mars Food, before moving to the Petcare business in 2008.
Since joining the graduate programme at Mars in 2009, McGrath has built broad experience across supply chain, marketing, and sales.
His journey has taken him through various leadership roles, including marketing director for Multisales Central Europe and general manager for Mars Multisales Sweden, where he championed diversity and built empowered teams that delivered strong results.
Foster said: “After my time with the incredibly talented team at Royal Canin, I’m very excited to be returning to lead Mars Pet Nutrition as general manager UK, Ireland and Nordics.
“Having started my career at Mars on our graduate programme almost 20 years’ ago, it’s a privilege to lead this business into its next chapter, continue to deliver our purpose: A Better World for Pets, and to serve a new generation of pet parents 90 years after Mars started its journey in the pet care category in the UK.”
McGrath added: “Having spent the last nine years working across different parts of Europe, it feels meaningful to take on a General Manager role in the unit where I started – and it’s testament to the investment and support that Mars offers.
“At Royal Canin, our health and nutrition expertise helps us to achieve our purpose: A Better World for Pets. It’s a mission we live every day, whether through our long-term relationships with partners like Medical Detection Dogs, fostering close partnerships with pet professionals or the millions of pets we serve with tailored nutrition each year through our retail partners.”
