---
schema_version: "secwatch.filing_event.v1"
accession: "0001040130-26-000045"
form_type: "8-K"
ticker: "PETS"
cik: "0001040130"
company_name: "PETMED EXPRESS INC"
filed_at: "2026-09-17T13:08:51+00:00"
generated_at: "2026-09-17T13:10:09.176586+00:00"
event_type: "leadership"
sentiment: "neutral"
materiality_score: 0.75
calibrated_materiality_score: 0.75
confidence: "high"
source: SEC EDGAR
---

# PetMed Express appoints Jeff Willard as CEO, effective Sept. 28; Leslie Campbell retires as Chair

## Summary
- Jeff Willard named CEO & President effective Sept. 28, 2026; succeeds Leslie Campbell, who retires as Chair & interim CEO; Justin Mennen becomes Board Chair.
- Willard gets $550k base salary, $120k signing bonus, $50k relocation, target bonus 75% of salary, plus 250k RSAs and up to 250k PSUs.
- Future annual LTI target $750k; initial PSUs vest on 3-yr TSR vs S&P 600 Specialty Retail Index.
- Campbell to remain Strategic Advisor for 60 days; Mennen becomes Chair, Batushansky takes over governance committee chair.

## SEC filing metadata
- accession: 0001040130-26-000045
- form_type: 8-K
- ticker: PETS
- cik: 0001040130
- company_name: PETMED EXPRESS INC
- filed_at: 2026-09-17T13:08:51+00:00
- event_type: leadership
- sentiment: neutral
- materiality_score: 0.75
- calibrated_materiality_score: 0.75
- confidence: high
- sec_items: 5.02, 7.01, 9.01
- EDGAR index: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1040130/000104013026000045/0001040130-26-000045-index.htm
- EDGAR primary document: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1040130/000104013026000045/pets-20260917.htm

## Machine-readable alternates
- HTML: https://secwatch.observer/filing/0001040130-26-000045
- JSON: https://secwatch.observer/filing/0001040130-26-000045.json
- Plain text: https://secwatch.observer/filing/0001040130-26-000045.txt

## Key facts
- Executive change
  Jeffrey Allen Willard was appointed as Chief Executive Officer and President at PETMED EXPRESS INC.
  - Action: appointed
  - Role: Chief Executive Officer and President
  source text: On September 17, 2026, PetMed Express, Inc. (the “Company”) announced that the Board of Directors (the “Board”) of the Company has appointed Jeffrey Allen Willard as the Company’s new Chief Executive Officer and President.
  evidence_url: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1040130/000104013026000045/0001040130-26-000045-index.htm

This AI-assisted summary is a reading aid. Review the linked SEC EDGAR filing before relying on any specific claim.