A “MAKER” at his core, Mark has significant experience leading R&D product development, digital transformation and business transformation across a uniquely diverse range of product categories; enterprise software systems, point-of-sale (POS) systems, pet snacks, cat litter, mobile apps, connected-pet devices (IoT) and AI. This experience spans many companies that include the US Air Force, Anderson Consulting, Monsanto, PetSmart and Nestle Purina. While at Purina, Mark led the team that solved an “unsolvable” technical problem – making clay cat litter 80% lighter without sacrificing product performance – creating a new, innovative, category-leading product platform generating significant incremental revenue. In recent years, Mark has led Purina’s entry into the fast-growing AI-enabled predictive pet health device category, launching Purina 1st IoT product, the Smart Litterbox Monitor, in 2023, under Purina’s new Petivity brand. Mark holds numerous patents and trade secrets and is also a highly-decorated officer in the US Air Force Reserves with significant Command experience. He holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in Biology and Process Engineering, respectively, from the Richard Stockton University and the US Air Force Institute of Technology. Mark and his wife, Michelle, both avid scuba divers, live outside of St Louis, MO, with their rescued dog Jocko and cat Ollie.