Meet the Executive Leadership Team

John Barry

Chief Executive Officer

Smarts:

As CEO, John Barry plays a pivotal role in steering the company's business strategy and vision with his unwavering belief that leadership, character, and people development are fundamental to organizational success. This philosophy underpins his approach to management and guides his efforts to cultivate a thriving workplace culture.

A dynamic and visionary leader in the consumer-packaged goods industry, John brings over 25 years of experience in driving profitable growth at Fortune 500 and private equity portfolio companies, including Proctor and Gamble (P&G), Johnson & Johnson (J&J), Keurig Green Mountain, and Kantar. John holds a bachelor's degree in marketing and finance from Northeastern University and an MBA from Babson F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business.

Hearts:

"The relationship between our customers and their horses, one of understanding and thoughtful leadership, is a pillar of our organization. By putting understanding and passion at the forefront, we aim to exemplify that doing good work leads to doing good business. A world in which every horse thrives and in which we are a trusted partner of our equine community is a world in which we are the industry leader of horse health and wellness."

Brad Chalifoux

Chief Financial Officer

Smarts:

Brad Chalifoux is the Chief Financial Officer, where he's responsible for driving all aspects of the financial strategy and activities. Brad brings a wealth of experience as a financial executive, having worked with leading consumer product companies such as Verde Farms, Brady Enterprises, Weetabix, and Welch's. His ability to take complex information and translate it into actionable results has earned him a track record for driving growth and relevancy in a constantly shifting market.

Brad employs a financial lens to play a pivotal role in driving the overall performance and delivery of the company's growth and margin targets and proactively builds strong business partnerships. Brad holds a degree in finance and economics from Babson College.

Hearts:

"I love the passion and dedication within the equestrian world. The sacrifice is indelible, and my aspirations are to meet that love and passion within myself and my team. Business is hard and finance is demanding but when you're delivering great products and services to such an engaged community, it makes it all worth it."

Charu Manocha

Chief Human Resources Officer

Smarts:

As Chief Human Resources Officer, Charu Manocha plays a major role in shaping the organization's future by listening and learning from employees and working together to build a culture where employees feel supported, heard, and have a sense of community.

She brings over 25 years of global experience in multiple industries at Fortune 500 and private equity portfolio companies delivering substantial transformations and profitable growth. After starting her career at a division of General Motors, Charu went on to hold various progressive positions leading company-wide talent and HR functions at Delphi Automotive Systems, Keurig Green Mountain, iRobot, Bright Horizons, and GreenLight Biosciences. Charu holds a B.Sc. from Delhi University in Math, Physics and Computer Science and an MBA from Youngstown State University.

An active ally of early childhood educators and HR professionals, she also sits on the boards of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and the Northeast HR Association (NEHRA) where she lends both her personal and business perspective.

Hearts:

"Working with horses is all about being a good leader and a good listener to a teammate who is bigger than you, stronger than you, and doesn't speak the same language as you. Similarly, being self-aware and continually striving to master the ability to remain calm, read underlying tensions, and respond strategically rather than reactively is the key to fostering environments where both individuals and organizations thrive."

Erik Morrison

Chief Analytics Officer

Smarts:

Known for his humility and unique technical and business depth, Erik Morrison plays a key role in overseeing the overall business trends as Chief Analytics Officer. Erik works closely with the CEO and leadership team to prepare for successful scaling based on pivotal insights derived from customer behavior, financial trends, marketing effectiveness, and competitive intelligence.

With over 15 years of global data and business intelligence experience working at Kantar Consulting in various progressive roles, Erik continues to deliver business insights and trends in the retail and consumer-packaged goods industries to enable growth. Erik earned a degree from Bowdoin College in mathematics and economics.

Hearts:

"There's a delicate balancing act involved between attention to detail and seeing the big picture. With horses, there's a need to fine-tune nutrition and aspects of training without losing sight of the horse's health and happiness as a whole. As a data and analytics leader, it's my responsibility to keep track of and interpret detailed data sets, but there's always a danger of overinterpreting the signals that we see in our data. For both, it's important to bring a measure of patience, reflection, and real-world experience to make the best decisions on how to move forward successfully."

Scott Siegel

Chief Revenue Officer

Smarts:

Scott Siegel is the Chief Revenue Officer, a role in which he ensures that every interaction with our customers is exceptional and memorable. He's responsible for maintaining a commercial strategy that meets the needs and high expectations of horse owners and equestrian enthusiasts through Retail, Specialty e-Commerce, Barns, Veterinarians, and Customer Care.

From Fortune 500 companies to start-ups, Scott utilizes his 30+ years of sales leadership experience to develop effective sales teams and build relationships with customers. Scott holds a bachelor's degree in marketing from West Virginia Wesleyan College and an MBA from the University of New Haven.

Hearts:

"There's a beautiful relationship between our customers and their horses. It's about humility, patience, and thoughtful leadership. While the equine world isn't necessarily one that everyone in business understands, I think these principles can be applied across the board when it comes to the corporate world. For both, being a good role model and fostering understanding creates the platform for success and performance."

Joe Sugden

Chief Operations & Technology Officer

Smarts:

In his role as Chief Operations and Technology Officer, Joe Sugden is building the next generation of operational excellence by utilizing technology and large-scale revenue growth solutions to execute a transition to efficient programs and practices in all areas of manufacturing, logistics, fulfillment, and quality assurance.

Joe has over 20 years of experience in the retail and consumer-packaged goods industries from companies such as Kantar and Mountain Dog Digital, where he drove innovation and results in effective retail execution. Joe holds a bachelor's degree from Saint Joseph's University and is an active volunteer firefighter.

Hearts:

"A successful business strategy has a surprising amount of similarities to horsemanship because both center around finding a balance between pushing yourself to achieve goals and being authentic, consistent, and transparent. As a leader in the tech space within the equine commerce community, I think it's important to find the balance between utilizing technology as a tool that facilitates reaching our goals and focusing on the human element that makes this company a unique, passionate driver within the industry."