Independence Pet Holdings Names Kirk Haggard Chief Executive Officer

 Independence Pet Holdings (IPH), one of North America’s leading pet insurance and services organizations, today announced the appointment of Kirk Haggard as Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately. IPH is a controlled affiliate of JAB Holding Company and the parent company of Embrace, Pumpkin, Pets Best, Independence Pet Group a leading full-stack pet insurance business; and PetPlace, a portfolio of pet health and wellness software, resources and services.

Haggard has served as interim CEO of Independence Pet Group since July and replaced Sharon Fernandez, who departed IPH earlier this year.

“The appointment of Kirk marks an important milestone in our strategic vision and helps further our mission of building a better future for pets and pet parents,” said Dirk Beeckman, JAB Pet Services global CEO. “Kirk has already made meaningful contributions to the business through his leadership at Independence Pet Group, and we are excited by his vision to move the company forward and continue its recent momentum. With extensive experience and proven results in the insurance industry, Kirk is well-positioned to lead our organization through the next phase of its growth and take IPH to the next level.”

Haggard brings an impressive 37 years of experience in the insurance industry with time spent at Allstate, Bank of America and, most recently, USAA as the senior finance officer of the P&C Insurance business. He has a wealth of knowledge in many diverse areas including strategy development, operational efficiency, sales/marketing effectiveness and talent development, all of which are critical to the success of IPH.

“It’s an exciting time to join this dynamic organization,” added Haggard. “The leadership teams are ready to take our brands and services to the next level and the category continues to grow and provide new opportunities to create a better future for pets and pet parents.”