Samantha Greenwood has been named President of MPM Products' North America business, stepping into the role after more than four years as the UK-based premium cat food group's Global Chief Marketing Officer. The promotion, which took effect in July, positions Greenwood to lead MPM's expansion in what has become its single largest market by revenue.

The Strategic Rationale

The United States now accounts for more than 40 percent of MPM's total revenue, a milestone the company reached after making a deliberate push into the market in 2021 by building out a domestic team and broadening its retail and e-commerce footprint through Chewy, Amazon, PetSmart, and specialty channels. Greenwood's mandate is to extend that growth curve as the US pet food market — already valued at $158 billion in 2025 — is projected by the American Pet Products Association to reach $165 billion in 2026.

"Sam has been instrumental in shaping the growth and success of our brands globally through her role as Chief Marketing Officer," said MPM Chief Executive Officer Julian Bambridge. "Her deep understanding of our consumers, strong connection to our brands, and proven ability to translate insight into commercial success make her uniquely qualified to lead our U.S. business."

Before joining MPM in 2022, Greenwood spent years in senior roles at Mondelēz International and Kraft Heinz, working across premium coffee and chocolate categories — experience that maps directly onto the "pet humanization" trend driving premium pet food demand. That cultural shift, in which consumers increasingly treat cats and dogs as family members and seek out human-grade-quality ingredients for their pets, sits at the core of MPM's brand positioning across Applaws, Reveal, and Encore.

Market Opportunity and Brand Focus

MPM's three flagship brands are built on a limited-ingredients philosophy: premium cuts of poultry or fish, grain-free recipes, and no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives — attributes that resonate strongly with health-conscious pet owners shopping the premium pet food segment. Greenwood has identified two near-term growth vectors: the aging cohort of cats adopted during the Covid pandemic, which she is addressing through an Applaws "Healthy Ageing" product platform; and Gen Z pet owners, who are disproportionately choosing cats and who gravitate toward sustainable, values-aligned brands.

"We want to make cat ownership and choosing the right food for their cat's enjoyment and health as straightforward as possible," Greenwood said, "so we will continue to innovate to make sure we provide the right variety and options for them."

MPM's credentials as a Certified B Corporation also factor into the commercial story. The company has maintained B Corp status for five consecutive years, a distinction that encompasses donating more than 7.7 million meals since 2021, launching a climate action plan, and enforcing ethical sourcing standards across its supply chain — factors increasingly valued by the retail buyers and specialty distributors that stock premium food and beverage brands. Greenwood, who oversees a workforce where every employee carries at least one objective tied to the company's B Corp agenda, views that framework as a competitive differentiator rather than a compliance exercise.

Greenwood's dual fluency in consumer packaged goods and purpose-driven brand building makes her an atypical but well-suited leader for a company navigating the intersection of premium food manufacturing, sustainability expectations, and rapidly evolving retail dynamics. For food and beverage professionals tracking premium specialty brands and retail channel strategy, MPM's North America trajectory offers a useful case study in how focused category expertise — cats only, since 2002 — can translate into durable growth in the world's largest pet food market.

Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.