Citizens Pet Strengthens Leadership Team and Expands Fresno Footprint to Support Continued Growth

Six leadership appointments and a 40,000-square-foot expansion support the company's growing portfolio of pet brands

FRESNO, Calif., Nov. 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Citizens Pet, the pet products company behind Unconditional, Plato, and Furry Republic, today announced six key leadership appointments and a 40,000-square-foot expansion of its Fresno, California, facility. The expansion brings the company's total Fresno footprint to more than 125,000 square feet, adding manufacturing and operational capacity, while new hires bring expertise across commercial strategy, marketing, supply chain, and engineering to support its growing portfolio.

New appointments include:

• Peter Christiani, Chief Commercial Officer
  
  Christiani will lead commercial strategy and growth across the Citizens Pet portfolio, focusing on retail partnerships and expanding opportunities across the pet channel. Most recently, he served as EVP of Omnichannel Growth at Portland Pet Food Company, helping scale the business into a nationally distributed brand, and previously held commercial and marketing roles at Red Bull.
  
  
  
  
• Adriaan Zimmerman, Chief Marketing and Digital Officer
  
  Zimmerman will oversee marketing and digital strategy across the Citizens Pet portfolio, with a focus on growing brand visibility and driving consumer engagement. His background includes co-founding and serving as CEO of health and wellness brand Ned, serving as a founding partner of BroBible, and holding the role of Executive Director at The LADbible Group.
  
  
  
  
• Doug Siegal, Senior Vice President of Pet Specialty
  
  Siegal is a 20-year pet industry veteran, with vast industry relationships and knowledge in sales strategy, distributor management, and retail expansion. He spent 17 years at Stella & Chewy's before serving as Vice President of Sales & Operations at Fabdog and Chief Revenue Officer at Humbl Pet Food.
  
  
  
  
• Jagdeep Basi, Vice President of Supply Chain and Business Operations
  
  Basi brings extensive supply chain strategy experience across food ingredients, consumer products, and pet products. She will oversee supply chain management and business operations across the Citizens Pet portfolio, and previously held leadership positions at Sensient Technologies Corporation, OFI, Foster Farms, and The Clorox Company.
  
  
  
  
• Jim Abbas, Vice President of Engineering & AI
  
  Abbas will lead manufacturing automation, process optimization, and AI adoption across the company to streamline workflows and improve operational efficiency. His background spans electrical engineering, industrial automation, and robotics.
  
  
  
  
• Julie Barron, Advisor
  
  Barron brings more than 30 years of consumer packaged goods experience, with a strong track record of building and scaling successful pet brands. She previously served as CEO of Solid Gold Pet, leading the company to a successful sale, and founded and led Simply Protein for Pets. Earlier in her career, she held leadership roles at Waggin' Train and Kraft Foods.

"Citizens Pet is entering an exciting phase of growth. Investing in the right people and infrastructure is critical to our long-term vision," said Avrum Elmakis, Chairman and CEO of Citizens Pet. "These leaders bring the expertise needed to strengthen our commercial strategy, build our brands, and enhance our operations. Together with our expanded Fresno footprint, they position us to keep scaling the business and pursue new opportunities across the pet industry."

Together, these leadership appointments and facility investments reflect Citizens Pet's commitment to strengthening its operations and supporting the continued long-term growth of its pet food and product brands.

For more information on Citizens Pet, visit citizenspet.com.

About Citizens Pet 

Citizens Pet is a California-based producer of premium pet foods and treats, and the parent company of Unconditional, Plato, and Furry Republic brands. Guided by the belief that pets deserve better, Citizens Pet is anchored by its own factory in Fresno, California, and an air-drying craft refined there over more than two decades. Owning the factory gives the company direct oversight of sourcing and production, backed by rigorous food safety and quality standards. Learn more at citizenspet.com. 

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SOURCE Citizens Pet