UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT
PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): February 4, 2026
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
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(State or other jurisdiction
of incorporation) |
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(Commission
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(IRS Employer
Identification No.) |
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(Address of principal executive offices)
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(Zip code)
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Registrant's telephone number, including area code: 201 520-4000
(Former Name or Former Address, if Changed Since Last Report)
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Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following
provisions:
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
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Title of each class
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Trading Symbol(s)
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Name of each exchange on which registered
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Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act
of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter):
Emerging growth company ☐
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards
provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐
| Item 5.02 |
Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers.
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Appointment of Chief Financial Officer
On February 4, 2026, Freshpet, Inc. (the “Company”) announced the appointment of Mr. John O’Connor to serve as Chief Financial
Officer of the Company, effective as of February 9, 2026 (the “Effective Date”). Mr. O’Connor, age 45, joins the Company after having previously served as Senior Vice President, Global Commercial Finance of Zoetis Inc. (“Zoetis”), a
global animal health company listed on the New York Stock Exchange, in 2025, and as Senior Vice President, US Commercial Finance Lead of Zoetis from 2023 to 2025. He also served as Chief Financial Officer of Thrive Pet Healthcare from
2021 to 2023. Prior to that he held various roles at Zoetis from 2012 to 2021, including as Senior Vice President and Head, Finance, U.S. Operations from 2020 to 2021 and Senior Vice President, Finance, Investor Relations and Treasury
from 2016 to 2020.
Mr. O’Connor will receive an annual base salary of $525,000 (“Base Salary”). He will also be eligible to participate
in the Company’s annual cash bonus program, with an annual target bonus opportunity of at least seventy percent (70%) of his Base Salary, as well as the Company’s long-term equity incentive program, with a target opportunity of at least one
hundred fifty percent (150%) of his Base Salary, based in each case on parameters established by the Company’s board of directors (the “Board”), or a committee thereof. Mr. O’Connor is also eligible to participate in the Company’s executive
severance plan and other benefit programs available to Company employees, and shall be entitled to five (5) weeks of vacation to be taken in accordance with Company policy.
As an inducement to Mr. O’Connor to join the
Company, the Compensation and Human Capital Management Committee of the Board has determined to grant Mr. O’Connor restricted stock units in respect of seventy-five hundred (7,500) shares of the Company’s common stock on and as of
the Effective Date (the “Restricted Stock Units”), which will vest in equal installments on each of the first three anniversaries of Effective Date, subject to Mr. O’Connor’s continued employment through such dates.
There are no arrangements or understandings between Mr. O’Connor and any other persons outside of the Company pursuant to which he was
selected as an executive officer of the Company, and there are no family relationships between any director, executive officer, or person nominated or chosen by the Company to become a director or executive officer of the Company and Mr.
O’Connor. Mr. O’Connor has no direct or indirect material interest in any transaction required to be disclosed pursuant to Item 404(a) of Regulation S-K.
Reassignment of Interim Chief Financial Officer
Upon the commencement of Mr. O’Connor’s employment as Chief Financial Officer on the Effective Date, Mr. Ivan Garcia will step down from his
position as Interim Chief Financial Officer but will continue to serve the Company as Senior Vice President, Finance. The Company appreciates Mr. Garcia’s diligent service as Interim Chief Financial Officer and looks forward to his
continued support.
Item 7.01 Regulation FD Disclosure.
On February 4, 2026, the Company issued a press release announcing the appointment of Mr. O’Connor. A copy of the press release is
furnished as Exhibit 99.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K.
The information in this Item 7.01, including Exhibit 99.1 attached hereto, is being furnished and shall not be deemed “filed” for the purposes of Section 18
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that Section and shall not be incorporated by reference into any registration statement or other document filed pursuant to the
Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Exchange Act, except as otherwise expressly stated in such filing.
Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits.
(d) Exhibits.
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Exhibit Number
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104
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Cover Page Interactive Data File (formatted as inline XBRL)
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SIGNATURE
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
Date: February 4, 2026
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FRESHPET, INC.
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By:
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/s/ Lisa Alexander
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Name:
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Lisa Alexander
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Title:
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General Counsel and Corporate Secretary
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Exhibit 99.1
Freshpet Strengthens Leadership Team with Strategic Appointments Across Finance and Supply Chain
Appoints John O’Connor as Chief Financial Officer
Appoints Ana Lopez as Senior Vice President Supply Chain
Company Reaffirms Full Year 2025 Outlook
BEDMINSTER, N.J. – February 4, 2026 – Freshpet, Inc. (“Freshpet” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: FRPT) today announced the appointment of John O’Connor as Chief Financial
Officer, effective February 9, 2026, and Ana Lopez as Senior Vice President of Supply Chain, effective February 2, 2026. Mr. O’Connor succeeds Ivan Garcia, who has served as Interim Chief Financial Officer since October 2025 and will continue with
the Company as Senior Vice President of Finance. Mr. O’Connor will report to Chief Executive Officer Billy Cyr, and Ms. Lopez will report to Chief Operating Officer Nicki Baty.
“John and Ana are exceptional leaders whose experience sits squarely at the intersection of food and health — exactly where Freshpet operates,” said Billy Cyr,
Freshpet’s Chief Executive Officer. “John brings deep financial leadership and animal health expertise, having spent much of his career helping scale and transform businesses dedicated to improving the lives of pets. Ana brings world-class supply
chain experience across health, food, and highly regulated environments. As we continue to focus on transforming the health and vitality of pets, we are intentionally building out a leadership team that can support that mission and fuel our next
phase of growth.”
“We are also incredibly grateful to Ivan Garcia for his leadership and steady guidance as Interim CFO over the past several months,” added Cyr. “Ivan played a
critical role during a period of transition, and we are fortunate to continue benefiting from his experience and deep knowledge of Freshpet as he steps into the role of Senior Vice President of Finance.”
In conjunction with this announcement, the Company has reaffirmed its guidance for fiscal 2025 provided in the Company’s press release on November 3, 2025. The
Company expects to report financial results for its fourth quarter and full year 2025 on Monday, February 23, 2026.
John O’Connor Biography
John O’Connor joins Freshpet with over 20 years of financial leadership experience, including extensive tenure in animal health and pet care. Most recently, he
served as Senior Vice President, Global Commercial Finance at Zoetis, the world’s largest animal health company. He previously served as Chief Financial Officer of Thrive Pet Healthcare, a leading veterinary services platform, and held senior
finance, investor relations, and capital markets roles at Zoetis and Pfizer. Mr. O’Connor holds a Master of Public Policy Analysis from the College of William & Mary and a Bachelor of Arts in Government from the College of William & Mary. He
is also a CFA® Charterholder.
Ana Lopez Biography
Ana Lopez joins Freshpet with more than 20 years of global supply chain leadership across food, consumer packaged goods, and healthcare. Most recently, she served as
Senior Vice President, North America Foods Supply Chain at Unilever, where she led end-to-end supply chain operations supporting a multi-billion-dollar portfolio. Her background includes senior leadership roles at Johnson & Johnson across medical
devices, pharmaceuticals, and consumer health. Ms. Lopez holds a Master of Business Administration in Healthcare Management from Regis University, a Master of Science in Industrial Engineering from Universidad de las Américas, and a Bachelor of
Science in Industrial Engineering from Universidad Iberoamericana.
About Freshpet
Freshpet's mission is to elevate the way we feed our pets with fresh food that nourishes all. Freshpet foods are blends of
fresh meats, vegetables and fruits farmed locally and made at our Freshpet Kitchens. We thoughtfully prepare our foods using natural ingredients, cooking them in small batches at lower temperatures to preserve the natural goodness of the
ingredients. Freshpet foods and treats are kept refrigerated from the moment they are made until they arrive at Freshpet Fridges in your local market.
Our foods are available in select grocery, mass,
digital, pet specialty, and club retailers across the United States, Canada and Europe, as well as online in the U.S. From the care we take to source our ingredients and make our food, to the moment it reaches your home, our integrity,
transparency and social responsibility are the way we like to run our business. To learn more, visit www.freshpet.com.
Connect with Freshpet:
https://www.facebook.com/Freshpet
https://x.com/Freshpet
http://instagram.com/Freshpet
http://pinterest.com/Freshpet
https://www.tiktok.com/@Freshpet
https://www.youtube.com/user/freshpet400
Investor Contact:
Rachel Ulsh
Rulsh@freshpet.com
Media Contact:
Press@freshpet.com