PetIQ, Inc. Announces Appointment of Lauren Olavessen, DVM as Chief Medical Officer

EAGLE, Idaho, Feb. 03, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- PetIQ, Inc. (“PetIQ” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: PETQ), a leading pet medication and wellness company, today announced the appointment of Lauren Olavessen, DVM to the Company’s newly established position of senior vice president and chief medical officer, effective today. Dr. Olavessen has held a variety of medical and leadership roles at both Merial (now Boehringer Ingelheim) and IDEXX Laboratories, culminating in her post as senior medical director of IDEXX’s Companion Animal Medical Organization. 

“We are thrilled to welcome Lauren to our management team and leverage her well-rounded skill set of medical and leadership experience that she developed at two of the leading animal health companies in the world,” commented Susan Sholtis, PetIQ’s President. “PetIQ’s business has expanded significantly and today represents one of the leading veterinary service providers and vertically integrated product manufacturers in the industry. Lauren’s cross-functional experience will be of great value to our team as we further expand our presence in the industry and advance our growth initiatives to bring Smarter Pet Health to the unserved and underserved segments of the pet population.”

Dr. Olavessen brings 18 years of experience in the veterinary profession, both as a practicing veterinarian and a leader within the industry. Most recently, she served as senior medical director of IDEXX’s Companion Animal Medical Organization where she led a team of veterinarians and professionals in medical affairs, medical outreach and medical research support. She began her career as a practicing veterinarian focused on small animal medicine in 2002 until transitioning to industry in 2007. Dr. Olavessen holds a Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine, serves on the board of directors for the Veterinary Leadership Institute (VLI) and has been recognized with several educational and professional awards. 

About PetIQ

PetIQ is a leading pet medication and wellness company delivering a smarter way for pet parents to help their pets live their best lives through convenient access to affordable veterinary products and services. The company engages with customers through more than 60,000 points of distribution across retail and e-commerce channels with its branded distributed medications, which is further supported by its own world-class medications manufacturing facility in Omaha, Nebraska. The company’s national service platform, VIP Petcare, operates in over 3,400 retail partner locations in 41 states providing cost effective and convenient veterinary wellness services. PetIQ believes that pets are an important part of the family and deserve the best products and care we can give them. For more information, visit .

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