Nestlé Purina PetCare Executive Joins Joybound People & Pets Board of Directors

Joybound People & Pets has announced that Eric Willis is joining its board of directors. Willis, a seasoned marketing executive with more than two decades of experience at Nestlé Purina PetCare, brings a wealth of expertise in brand strategy, communications and business leadership to the organization.

Joybound People & Pets is dedicated to enhancing the human-animal bond through rescue and adoption programs, humane education, accessible veterinary care, service animal training and community services.

As chief marketing officer at Nestlé Purina PetCare, Willis oversees brand P&L responsibilities, product innovation and renovation, sports marketing and the company’s media and marketing analytics centers of excellence. Over his 24-year career with Purina, he has held leadership roles across sales and marketing, including heading the market development organization, where he redefined the department and introduced the strategic revenue management function. From 2020 to 2022, he served as vice president and general manager of Purina’s Golden Products division, leading marketing, finance and manufacturing operations.

“As a longtime Purina Shelter Champion, we’ve witnessed firsthand how Eric and the entire Purina team share Joybound’s dedication to the relationship between people and pets,” said Joybound CEO Susan Lee Vick. “His strategic leadership will help Joybound create and support even more pet families.”

Willis holds a BSBA degree from the University of Missouri, Columbia, and an MBA from Washington University in St. Louis. He is actively engaged in philanthropic efforts, serving as a division chair for United Way fundraising initiatives, as well as on Washington University’s Olin Business School Alumni Board and the Marketing Advisory Board at the University of Missouri’s Trulaske College of Business.

Willis and his wife, Michele, their two daughters, Black Labrador Sally and Beagle Chelsea reside in St. Louis, Missouri, home to Nestlé Purina’s North American headquarters.