BARK Signals New Era of Discipline with CPG Veteran Anya Hamill as CFO

NEW YORK, NY – July 28, 2026 – BARK, Inc., the dog-centric brand known for its popular subscription boxes and ambitious BARK Air venture, has appointed consumer packaged goods (CPG) veteran Anya Hamill as its new Chief Financial Officer. The move, effective September 8, 2026, is a clear signal that the company is intensifying its focus on financial discipline and operational maturity as it navigates a strategic pivot from pure growth to sustainable profitability.

Ms. Hamill will report directly to Co-Founder and CEO Matt Meeker, taking the financial helm from Interim CFO Brian Dostie, who will resume his role as Vice President, Accounting and Controller. The appointment comes at a critical juncture for the NYSE-listed company, which has spent the past year deliberately reining in marketing expenses to bolster its bottom line, a strategy that has successfully delivered positive earnings but also led to a near-term revenue contraction.

“Anya is an important addition to our leadership team as we continue to scale our business and strengthen BARK’s position as the world’s most dog-centric company,” said Mr. Meeker in the official announcement. “Her experience driving business performance at public and private companies, combined with her deep familiarity with consumer packaged goods across digital and retail channels, will be exceptionally beneficial as we continue to grow and deliver value to all of our stockholders.”

A CPG Veteran for a New Chapter

Anya Hamill is not just a finance executive; she is a seasoned architect of financial transformation within the highly competitive CPG landscape. Her more than 20 years of experience are deeply rooted in the very challenges and opportunities BARK now faces: scaling an omnichannel brand, managing complex supply chains, and driving profitability in both public and private equity-backed environments.

Her most recent tenure as CFO of Laird Superfood from 2022 to 2026 is particularly instructive. There, she was instrumental in steering the company toward improved profitability and positive cash flow. Under her financial leadership, Laird Superfood reported a 27% year-over-year revenue increase in fiscal 2024 and a significant gross margin improvement to nearly 41%. She also oversaw the acquisition of Navitas, demonstrating her capability in managing M&A and capital market activities—skills that will be invaluable as BARK continues to evaluate its strategic options.

Before that, as CFO of Little Secrets Chocolates, she guided the emerging brand through capital raising and scaling its operational infrastructure. Her long career also includes senior financial leadership roles at WhiteWave Foods, where she helped support the ambitious growth of premium brands like Silk and SoDelicious. This background in food and beverage, with a focus on premium and natural products, aligns perfectly with BARK's own brand ethos and its expansion into treats and food-adjacent categories.

“What drew me to the Company is its rare combination of a beloved brand, a deep data driven understanding of dogs and their people,” Ms. Hamill stated. Her focus on partnering with the team to “scale the business with discipline” underscores the mandate she is expected to carry out.

Navigating a Pivot to Profitability

Ms. Hamill joins a company in the midst of a deliberate and carefully managed strategic evolution. After years of prioritizing top-line growth, BARK’s leadership made a calculated decision in fiscal 2026 to pull back on marketing spend by $24.5 million. The result was an 18.5% decline in annual revenue to $394.8 million, but it successfully yielded a positive Adjusted EBITDA of $0.2 million for the second consecutive year.

The strategy reflects a broader market reality where investors are increasingly rewarding sustainable profitability over growth-at-all-costs. While the DTC subscription segment saw revenue decline due to a smaller subscriber base, the company reports that the remaining customers are of higher quality, with better retention and higher average order values. Meanwhile, BARK’s diversification efforts are bearing fruit. The Commerce segment, which includes retail partnerships with giants like Target and Amazon, grew 2.3% to $69.9 million and now represents nearly 18% of total revenue. For fiscal 2027, the company projects its Commerce and BARK Air segments will collectively generate over $100 million.

BARK Air, its unique “dogs-first” airline, more than doubled its revenue to $12.4 million in fiscal 2026 with a remarkable 90% average utilization rate. However, in another sign of its new discipline, management plans to prioritize unit economics over rapid expansion for the airline in the coming year. Hamill's task will be to provide the financial framework to support these growing, yet distinct, business lines while ensuring the core DTC business remains healthy. Critically, she inherits a debt-free balance sheet, as the company recently paid off a $45 million convertible note, giving her a clean slate to manage capital allocation.

The Maturing Pet Economy Demands Discipline

The pet care industry remains a juggernaut, with U.S. spending projected to hit $165 billion in 2026. This growth is fueled by the powerful trend of pet humanization. However, the market is also maturing. Competitors like Chewy and Petco are aggressively expanding into high-margin services like veterinary care and telehealth, while inflationary pressures are making consumers more selective with their discretionary spending. In this environment, operational excellence and financial rigor are no longer optional—they are table stakes.

BARK’s appointment of Hamill can be seen as a direct response to this new reality. The company has seen several CFO transitions in recent years, and her arrival signals a push for stability and long-term strategic financial leadership. This move also follows a period of intense strategic review, during which the board’s Special Committee rejected a takeover bid it deemed undervalued, reaffirming its commitment to a standalone strategy focused on disciplined execution. Hamill's expertise in driving shareholder value within public companies will be central to delivering on that commitment. Her appointment is a testament to the fact that even in an industry driven by puppy love, the path to lasting success is paved with sound financial discipline.