Mary Wuestenberg

Title

Director of talent acquisition

Company

Central Garden & Pet

Roundtable Discussion:

CEO roundtable: attracting and retaining talent in the hyper-competitive pet food industry – Constantly changing regulations, consumer preferences and a retail landscape, combined with not so favorable demographics and cultural phenomena upending the way in which we view work – who will do the critical jobs working in and leading pet food companies in the future? A panel of CEOs, human resources and academic leaders share their insights on how they go about recruiting and retaining the best people in a hyper-competitive market. The panel also imparts meaningful and relevant career advice on how to best position yourself for your next career challenge.

Experience:

Wuestenberg enjoys working with other pet lovers at Central Garden & Pet, a US$2 billion pet and garden manufacturing and distribution company known for brands such as Nylabone, Kaytee, Aqueon, Farnam, Pennington and more. She started there as the midwest regional HR manager responsible for eight locations before relocating to California to lead talent acquisition at a corporate level. Prior to joining Central, Wuestenberg spent most of her career in progressive HR roles in manufacturing and distribution, including at Kohl’s and Target. Throughout her career, she has been heavily involved with process improvement and change management with a focus on making HR systems more efficient. Since becoming director of talent acquisition three years ago, Wuestenberg has streamlined the hiring process by taking advantage of technology, eliminating unnecessary steps and ensuring that hiring managers and human resources are aligned throughout the hiring process.