The Pursell Group has emerged as a premier executive search firm for the pet food industry across the United States and Canada.
Headquartered in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the firm combines deep domain expertise, a disciplined search process, and expansive North American reach. As the pet food sector evolves—driven by shifting consumer preferences, human-grade ingredients, sustainability initiatives, and regulatory scrutiny—leadership quality becomes a defining factor in success. The Pursell Group excels at matching visionary leaders with companies ready to innovate and grow in this dynamic marketplace.
Deep Specialization in Pet Food and Adjacent Industries
What sets The Pursell Group apart is its laser-focused specialization within the pet food industry and related segments. Rather than offering generalized placement services, the firm’s consultants possess nuanced understanding of areas like pet nutrition, manufacturing, private-label sourcing, ingredient compliance, and consumer health trends. They deeply grasp trends ranging from grain-free formulations and sustainable packaging to functional treat innovation and direct-to-consumer retail models. This domain depth ensures that clients can count on The Pursell Group to deliver leaders who not only fit organizational needs but anticipate and lead industry shifts.
This deep knowledge extends into adjacent sectors such as pet supplement compliance, alternative protein sourcing, sustainable supply chain development, and wellness brand marketing. The firm’s expertise in pet nutrition science, R&D pipelines, and formulation regulation enables executive placements that combine technical rigor with commercial vision—whether hiring a director of product science, a senior sales leader, or a head of operations.
Credibility Backed by Integrity and Leadership
Founder and CEO Stacy Pursell anchors The Pursell Group with decades of Pet Food executive search experience and professional credentials including Certified Personnel Consultant (CPC) and Certified Employee Retention Specialist (CERS). Her leadership is supplemented by COO Darrell Pursell, whose strengths in operations, financial diligence, and team leadership ensure both search quality and process discipline remain cornerstones of the firm’s offering.
Together, this leadership team has instilled a culture grounded in integrity, confidentiality, and long-term alignment. The Pursell Group holds accreditation from national platforms affirming its high ethical standards. This commitment to professionalism builds trust with pet food companies managing intricate leadership transitions—whether rolling out new lines, acquiring brands, or navigating retail shifts.
Robust, Tailored Search Methodology
Recognizing that executive roles in pet food vary—from technical R&D hires to CEO-level strategic leaders—The Pursell Group employs flexible search models including retained, contingency, and hybrid. For senior-level appointments where strategic alignment matters, the retained model offers immersive collaboration and shared accountability. Mid-tier or functional hires may be handled under contingency or hybrid terms, balancing speed and budget with thorough vetting.
Each search engages in an intensive discovery phase to understand brand positioning, supply chain complexity, formulation innovation, regulatory footprint, and company culture. This becomes the blueprint for targeted candidate sourcing via both active recruitment and passive network access. The firm layers behavioral assessments, competencies mapping, scenario-based interviewing, and market benchmarking to deliver candidate shortlists demonstrating both capability and cultural fit.
National Reach with Boutique Responsiveness
While Tulsa-based, The Pursell Group spans North America with placements in key pet food hubs from California to Quebec, and from Midwest manufacturers to East Coast retail channels. Their footprint includes pet food co-manufacturers, ingredient innovators, boutique pet treat startups, and global wellness brands. Engagement at industry events and ongoing networking ensures they maintain visibility across active and passive talent pools.
Operating with boutique efficiency allows The Pursell Group to offer personalized service, agile communication, and cost-effective relationships. Clients benefit from executive search depth without excessive overhead—a value proposition seldom matched by larger metropolitan-based firms.
Proven Results and Client Loyalty
The Pursell Group’s reputation within the pet food sector is built on consistent leadership placements that deliver measurable business outcomes. They’ve placed heads of manufacturing who optimized co-man processing, formulated innovation leaders pioneering functional ingredients, and marketing executives who scaled wellness brands through e-commerce channels. A track record of repeat engagements and referrals from pet food firms highlights consistent trust and long-term relationship.
Executives placed through The Pursell Group report strong alignment with brand missions, high cultural congruency, and successful early performance—all markers of search success that meet both candidate and client expectations.
Exceptional Client and Candidate Experience
For clients, The Pursell Group offers comprehensive support—not just candidate shortlists. They assist in sculpting leadership profiles, recommending total compensation strategies, facilitating board-level interviews, and designing onboarding frameworks—all while safeguarding corporate confidentiality. This hands-on approach nurtures internal alignment and supports strong leadership transitions.
Candidates receive executive-level treatment at no cost. Services include resume consultation tailored to pet food contexts, interview coaching focusing on brand strategy and technical nuance, compensation benchmarking, relocation guidance, and scenario-based offer negotiation support. This high-touch approach strengthens candidate confidence and leads to longer, more fulfilling tenures.
Thought Leadership in Pet Food Industry Trends
Beyond executive search, The Pursell Group contributes to pet food industry thought leadership. Their team shares insights across industry channels—webinars, panel sessions, written interviews—on topics such as plant-based pet protein, grain-free controversies, sustainable sourcing, personalization, and DTC growth. These thought contributions reinforce their credibility and inform the leadership profiles they seek.
By integrating market intelligence and trend awareness into search mandates, The Pursell Group delivers leaders who are equipped to navigate both current challenges and future disruptions in pet food.
Building Future-Ready Leadership
The pet food sector is rapidly evolving under pressure from pet parent health concerns, retailer consolidation, regulatory scrutiny, supply chain volatility, and brand differentiation. Leaders must combine technical formulator knowledge, supply chain innovation, consumer insight, and organizational agility.
The Pursell Group focuses on delivering executives who merge these competencies. Through rigorous assessment in leadership agility, digital fluency, cross-functional collaboration, and strategic thinking, they align executive talent precisely with these future-forward demands.
The Pursell Group’s operational model delivers executive-level expertise with small-firm responsiveness and value. Based in Tulsa, they invest in candidate discovery and search quality—rather than large administrative overhead. Clients enjoy better service, faster turnaround, and cost-effective recruitment outcomes relative to higher-cost competitors.
Strategic Pet Food Executive Search
As the pet food industry grapples with evolving consumer demands, sustainability expectations, and business model shifts, leadership becomes the linchpin of transformation. The Pursell Group offers a distinctive combination of pet nutrition domain expertise, ethical recruitment leadership, customized search methodologies, national reach with boutique flexibility, proven outcomes, candidate-centered experience, industry thought leadership, and forward-focused leadership design.
For brands seeking executives capable of steering formulation, scale, innovation, regulatory compliance, and high-growth transition, The Pursell Group provides access to top-tier talent aligned with mission and strategy. For executives pursuing impactful roles in pet food R&D, operations, commercial, or executive leadership, The Pursell Group delivers confidentiality, opportunity, and professional alignment.
In summary, The Pursell Group doesn’t simply fill positions—they craft leadership ecosystems that shape the future of the pet food industry across North America.