Golden Pet Brands Leadership & Management

Golden Pet Brands, a newly established multi-brand marketer and manufacturer of nutrient-dense petfood and formerly part of Golden Hippo, has appointed Apu Mody as Chief Executive Officer and John Meloun as Chief Financial Officer.

Mody previously served as CEO or Executive Chairman of several fast-growing consumer brands. Earlier in his career, he was President of Mars Food Americas and Middle East, as well as Senior Vice President and Managing Director of Consumer Products at Del Monte Foods, where he oversaw a nine-figure acquisition of petfood and food assets.

Meloun joins from Xponential Fitness, where he served as Chief Financial Officer for nearly eight years. Prior to that, he was CFO of The Joint Chiropractic and also served on the board of directors at WellBiz Brands, Inc.. He holds an MBA from Arizona State University W. P. Carey School of Business. In his role at Golden Pet Brands, he will oversee financial operations, including the company’s vertically integrated manufacturing and direct-to-consumer activities.

Golden Pet Brands’ portfolio includes three core brands—Dr. Marty Pets, Badlands Ranch and Ultimate Pet Nutrition—each developed with input from veterinarians, founders and advocates involved in product development and consumer education. The brands offer minimally processed, nutrient-dense food, treats and supplements for dogs and cats.

Golden Pet Brands, a newly formed multi-brand marketer and formerly part of Golden Hippo, announced the appointment of Apu Mody as Chief Executive Officer and John Meloun as Chief Financial Officer.

Mody brings more than 25 years of experience in the consumer packaged goods industry, having managed brands and portfolios up to $2.5 billion across Fortune 50 and private equity-backed companies. Mr. Mody served as the CEO/Executive Chairman of several fast growing consumer branded companies prior to joining Golden Pet Brands.  Prior to that he served as President of Mars Food Americas and Middle East as well as Senior Vice President and Managing Director of Consumer Products at Del Monte Foods, where he oversaw a nine-figure acquisition of pet food and food assets. His experience spans strategic leadership, brand development, operations, and multi-channel distribution across retail, e-commerce, and wholesale. Mr. Mody holds an MBA from the University of Michigan Ross School of Business.

Meloun joins from Xponential Fitness, a multi-brand, global franchisor of boutique health and wellness brands, where he served as Chief Financial Officer for nearly eight years. Prior to this, he served as CFO of The Joint Chiropractic, a national network of more than 850 modern patient-centric chiropractic offices. Meloun also served on the board of directors at WellBiz Brands, Inc., a beauty and wellness platform. He holds an MBA from Arizona State University’s W. P. Carey School of Business. As CFO, Meloun oversees financial operations for Golden Pet Brands, including the company’s vertically integrated manufacturing and direct-to-consumer business.

Golden Pet Brands portfolio includes three primary brands — Dr. Marty Pets, Badlands Ranch and Ultimate Pet Nutrition — each shaped by veterinarians, founders, and advocates who lead product development and consumer education. Each of the company’s brands offers nutrient-dense, minimally processed food, treats, and supplements for dogs and cats. The company produces long-form educational content across national television and digital platforms.

The Brands

Dr. Marty Pets created in partnership with Dr. Marty Goldstein, an integrative veterinarian with a Cornell University DVM and more than 50 years of clinical experience. Dr. Goldstein is the author of The Nature of Animal Healing and The Spirit of Animal Healing, and the subject of the documentary The Dog Doc. Dr. Marty Pets offers Nature’s Blend, a line of freeze-dried raw recipes for dogs, and Nature’s Feast, a freeze-dried raw food for cats. Cesar Millan, dog behaviorist and host of Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan, serves as brand champion for Dr. Marty Pets.

Badlands Ranch was created in partnership with Katherine Heigl, actress and animal welfare advocate who co-founded the Jason Heigl Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to animal protection. The brand features air-dried recipes and functional treats for dogs. Superfood Complete, an air-dried recipe in the Badlands Ranch line, is made with 87% beef, beef heart, beef liver, and salmon, and includes pumpkin, blueberries, and turmeric. Dr. Ambika Vaid, DVM, serves on the Badlands Ranch Veterinary Advisory Board.

Ultimate Pet Nutrition was created in partnership with Dr. Gary Richter, DVM, founder of Holistic Veterinary Care in Oakland, Calif., and author of The Ultimate Pet Health Guide, Longevity for Dogs and Longevity for Cats. The brand offers Nutra Complete, a freeze-dried raw food for dogs with 95% animal-sourced ingredients, and Nutra Thrive, a veterinarian-formulated supplement for dogs and cats. Rob Lowe, actor known for The West Wing and 9-1-1: Lone Star who rescues at-risk shelter dogs with his family, serves as Chief Pet Advocate for Ultimate Pet Nutrition.

The company owns and operates Golden Pet Manufacturing, its own manufacturing facility in Germantown, Wisconsin, that produces freeze-dried and air-dried pet food and treats. The facility holds a BRC AA+ food safety rating and Golden Pet Brands manages the supply chain from ingredient sourcing through production and safety testing.