Dive Brief:
- Online pet company Bark announced last week it has promoted Michael Black to the newly created position of president of its core business, according to a press release.
- Black joined the company in 2024 as chief revenue officer. His previous experience includes serving as founder and president of consulting firm Paragon International Advisors and CEO of dog toy company Outward Hound. Black also served as a senior buyer for pet accessories at Walmart.
- With his expanded responsibilities as president of the core business, Black now oversees Bark’s core DTC and wholesale segments. He continues to handle his chief revenue officer duties and reports directly to Matt Meeker, co-founder and chief executive officer of Bark.
Dive Insight:
Black’s promotion comes amid continued financial challenges for Bark.
“Michael has been an extraordinary partner since joining the team,” Meeker said in a statement. “His commercial instincts, operational discipline, and genuine passion for serving dogs and their people make him the right leader to help take Bark into its next chapter. Elevating him to run our core business was an easy decision, and it will allow me to focus on driving Bark’s long-term strategic vision.”
The online pet retailer in June said it is starting to pull back on its subscription services, which account for 85% of its revenue. Bark has also been working to expand offerings, including through the launch of its Bark Air travel service for dogs last year.
As part of the strategy to grow its business, Bark last year welcomed back a former executive, Meghan Knoll, to oversee the brand’s DTC business.
The company has been facing financial challenges more recently. Bark in July received a second letter of noncompliance from the New York Stock Exchange in two years for its stock trading below $1.00 over a 30-day period. It has until January to rectify that or be threatened with a delisting.
And in August, Bark announced first quarter total revenue declined 11.5% year over year to $102.9 million. DTC revenue fell 16.7% to $89.2 million, while wholesale revenue was up nearly 50% to $13.7 million.
