Pets at Home appoints new CEO

Pets at Home, the UK-based pet care products group, has announced in a press release the appointment of James Bailey as Chief Executive Officer, effective March 30. Bailey most recently served as Managing Director of Waitrose for over five years, since April 2020.

During his tenure, he led Waitrose to strong sales and profit growth and steered the company through the difficult Covid period and the immediate post-Covid period of high inflation. He also relaunched Waitrose.com after the company left the Ocado platform. Prior to his appointment at Waitrose, Bailey held various senior positions at J Sainsbury for over twenty years.

On September 18, 2025, Ian Burke was appointed Executive Chair until a new Chief Executive Officer is found. Burke will resume the role of Non-Executive Chair after Bailey takes office and will then focus on supporting him during the transition period.

‘Following an extensive selection process, the Board believes that James' experience is well aligned with the Group's objectives for the coming years. His strong retail leadership skills will support the continued focus on improving Pets at Home's retail business, with extensive operational and commercial experience in managing stores and online businesses,’ explains Burke.