Carnivore Meat Company Appoints Mandy Gayle as Senior Director, National Sales

Carnivore Meat Company, a leader in premium raw frozen and freeze-dried pet nutrition and parent company of Vital Essentials, has announced the appointment of Mandy Gayle as Senior Director, National Sales.

Gayle joins the company after 18 years in the pet food industry, most recently as Vice President of Sales at Open Farm Pet.

In her new role, Gayle will lead the national sales team by setting strategy and working directly with distributors, independent retailers, and key retail partners across North America. Her appointment reflects Carnivore Meat Company’s continued investment in expanding the Vital Essentials brand while reinforcing its long-standing commitment to the independent pet channel.

“Mandy’s appointment is an important commitment to our independent pet retail partners,” said Heather Govea, CEO of Carnivore Meat Company. “The indie pet channel is critical in our industry, it’s where education for pet parents happens, and is also a place for discovery of new products & solutions. Mandy has deep relationships across both indie pet retailers and distributors, so her leading the team will help us ensure we’re meeting the needs of the channel.”

Gayle joins Carnivore Meat Company from Open Farm Pet Foods, where she most recently served as Vice President of Sales and has built sales organizations from the ground up. She worked closely with distributors and independent retailers to grow premium pet food brands across North America,  shaping how she thinks about the role ahead.

“What attracted me to Carnivore Meat Company was its commitment to quality, its relationships across the industry, and a culture that puts pets and people first,” said Gayle. “The best opportunities come down to people, purpose, and impact, and this one had all three. Right now my focus is listening: spending time with our sales team, our distributors, our retail partners, figuring out what’s working and where we can do better.”

A focus on independent retailers isn’t new for her: they have long been central to the industry. Gayle role is making sure they have the tools, education, and support they need to stand out and keep delivering a great experience for pet parents. When independent retailers do well, the whole specialty pet community benefits.