FRANKLIN, TENN. — On Nov. 17, Mars Petcare announced the appointment of Alanna McDonald to regional president of Mars Pet Nutrition North America. McDonald will officially join the company on Nov. 21.

McDonald has more than 20 years of experience. Prior to joining Mars Pet Nutrition, she most recently served as president of Maybelline New York, Garnier and Essie at L’Oreal, where she directed teams to help deliver record-breaking growth through e-commerce and advance Maybelline’s position as a leader in the makeup industry. Prior to L’Oreal, she worked at Procter & Gamble for 17 years, serving in a variety of roles within leadership, sales, marketing and brand management.

“Alanna is a proven leader who brings strong global perspective on what consumers want and what retailers need,” said Ikdeep Singh, global president of Mars Pet Nutrition. “She understands the massive potential of a well-placed digital experience — positioning us to meet the evolving needs of pet parents for years to come. She is purpose-driven and a champion of equity, inclusion and diversity with a passion for associate development that will greatly benefit our North American business and talented associates.”

At Mars Pet Nutrition, McDonald will leverage her experience in consumer packaged goods (CPG) to help drive innovation in the pet food business. She will oversee Mars’ full pet nutrition portfolio within North America, including its CESAR, IAMS and PEDIGREE brands.

Mars Pet Nutrition’s North America division currently consists of 3,600 employees and serves more than 90 million pet owning households, according to Mars Petcare.

“I am honored to join Mars Petcare, a purpose-led and principles-driven organization, filled with associates committed to making life better for pets and pet parents alike,” McDonald said. “Pets have played an important role in my life so the opportunity to be part of the growing, dynamic pet category is an exciting next chapter, and I look forward to partnering with this passionate team to drive the company’s iconic brands forward.”

McDonald has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Calgary and is a member of the board of directors at Big Rock Brewery.