中央花园宠物 CENT

John E. Hanson. Mr. Hanson has served as President of Pet Consumer Products since August 2019, after serving as a board member during portions of 2018 and 2019. From 2015 to 2017, he was Chief Executive Officer of Oasis Brands, Inc. Beginning in 2013, he provided consulting services for consumer products companies in strategy, operations, and mergers and acquisitions. From 1996 to 2012, he held senior positions at ConAgra, including President of its Frozen Foods Division from 2008 to 2012 and Senior Vice President in Sales from 2006 to 2008.

Nicholas Lahanas, 57, has served as Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Company since September 2024. From May 2017 until his appointment as Chief Executive Officer, he served as the Company's Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Lahanas served as Senior Vice President of Finance and Chief Financial Officer of the Company's Pet Segment from April 2014 to May 2017 and Vice President of Corporate Financial Planning & Analysis from October 2011 to March 2014. Mr. Lahanas was the Director of Business Performance from March 2008 to October 2011, where his primary focus was on business unit profitability, and was a Finance Manager from October 2006 to March 2008 in the Company's Garden Segment. Prior to joining Central, he worked in private equity and investment banking.

William E. Brown. Mr. Brown has been our Chairman since October 2019, having previously served in this capacity from 1980 to 2018. He was our Chief Executive Officer from 1980 to June 2003 and from October 2007 to February 2013. From 1977 to 1980, he was Senior Vice President of Vivitar Corporation, responsible for Finance, Operations and Research & Development. From 1972 to 1977, he worked at McKesson Corporation, overseeing its 200-site data processing organization. Mr. Brown spent the first 10 years of his career at McCormick, Inc. in manufacturing, engineering and data processing.

Bradley Brad Smith. Mr. Smith became our Chief Financial Officer in September 2024. He joined Central in 2017 as Chief Financial Officer of our Pet Segment. Before joining Central, he spent 12 years with Delhaize Group (now Ahold Delhaize) in progressively more senior finance roles, including Chief Financial Officer of its European operations. Prior to Delhaize Group, Mr. Smith spent 11 years at Arthur Andersen.

Brooks M. Pennington III, 71, has served as Director since 1998. Mr. Pennington is co-owner of Pennington & Pennington, LLC, which provides management services for family entities involved in real estate development, student housing, timber production, farming, market investments and other businesses. He served as the Company's Chairman from February 2018 to September 2019 and was Director of Special Projects for the Company from October 2006 through March 2023. From 1994 through September 2006, he was the President and Chief Executive Officer of Pennington Seed, Inc., a business which was acquired by the Company in 1998. Mr. Pennington also serves on the boards of several private companies and was a member of the Board of Trustees of the University of North Georgia from July 2005 through June 2023.

Christopher T. Metz, 60, has served as Director since 2019. Mr. Metz has served as President and Chief Executive Officer and a director of Solo Brands, Inc. since January 2024. Prior to that, Mr. Metz served as a director and Chief Executive Officer of Vista Outdoor Inc. from October 2017 through January 2023. Prior to joining Vista Outdoor Inc., he served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Arctic Cat Inc., a manufacturer of all-terrain vehicles, recreational off-road vehicles and snowmobiles, from December 2014 to March 2017. Mr. Metz served as a Managing Director of Sun Capital Partners, Inc., a global private equity firm, from 2005 to July 2014. Prior to joining Sun Capital, he worked for Black & Decker, a manufacturer of power tools, accessories, hardware, home improvement products, and technology based fastening systems, for over 13 years, serving in a variety of capacities, including President of its Hardware and Home Improvement Group from 1999 to 2005. Mr. Metz also served as a director of Acushnet Holdings Corp., a performance-driven golf company, from 2015 to 2017.

On February 12, 2026, the Board of Directors of Central Garden & Pet Company appointed Kay M. Schwichtenberg to the Company's Board effective March 1, 2026. Ms. Schwichtenberg, 73, previously served as the Company's Executive Vice President, Animal & Public Health from April 2014 until her retirement in February 2023. Prior to becoming Executive Vice President, she held several positions with the Company including Special Projects Advisor, President & CEO of Central Life Sciences and President of Wellmark International. Ms. Schwichtenberg joined the Company in 1997 in connection with its acquisition of the Consumer and Animal Health Division from Sandoz Agro, Inc., a global pharmaceutical company, where she was the Vice President and General Manager. She also served in a variety of sales and marketing capacities for Brunswick Corporation and Market Facts, Inc. Ms. Schwichtenberg is an elected Life Director of the University of Illinois Foundation Board, where she served as a Chair, and a past chair of the American Pet Products Association (APPA). She completed the Advanced Executive Program at London Business School and is a member of the International Women's Forum. She earned a Master of Business Administration from the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Mr. Machek has been Principal Financial Officer since September 2016. Mr. Machek has served as our Chief Accounting Officer since September 2015 and has been our Corporate Controller since 2001.