Rosenzweig & Company Recruits President for PetSmart Canada

June 3, 2026 – Executive search firm Rosenzweig & Company recently placed Pamela O’Rourke as president of PetSmart Canada and chair of the board of PetSmart Charities of Canada. Rose Perri, partner at Rosenzweig & Company, led the search. “Pamela’s experience leading large-scale operations and driving customer-focused strategies stood out,” said Katherine Sanford, senior director of talent acquisition at PetSmart. “Rosenzweig & Company brought tremendous thoughtfulness, rigor, and partnership to the process. We’re excited for the path ahead as Pamela helps to advance our growth and position the brand as the favorite pet retailer of Canada.”

“PetSmart was seeking an exceptional combination of commercial acumen, enterprise leadership capability, and cultural alignment for this role,” said Jay Rosenzweig, CEO of Rosenzweig & Company. “Pamela stood out not only for her track record driving growth and performance, but for the quality of her leadership, her ability to build high-performing teams, and the respect she has earned across the Canadian retail landscape.”

“The mandate was clear, but the bar was exceptionally high,” said Ms. Perri. “PetSmart was looking for a leader with deep expertise across merchandising, supply chain, and omnichannel retail, combined with the leadership style and emotional intelligence required to thrive within a highly collaborative North American organization. Pamela brought that rare combination.”

In her new role, Ms. O’Rourke will lead all aspects of the company’s Canadian operations and bring her expertise to PetSmart Charities of Canada, the leading funder of animal welfare in the country.

Ms. O’Rourke brings more than 30 years of retail leadership experience to the role. She joins PetSmart from The Home Depot Canada, where she most recently served as chief merchandising officer, the culmination of a 15-year tenure in which she held senior leadership roles spanning merchandising, strategy, planning, and sourcing. In addition to her commercial accomplishments, Ms. O’Rourke previously served as chair of The Home Depot Canada Foundation, helping guide initiatives focused on addressing youth homelessness across Canada.

PetSmart is a retail chain specializing in pet products, services, and solutions for a wide variety of animals, including dogs, cats, fish, birds, reptiles, and small pets. Founded in 1986 and headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, the company operates hundreds of stores across the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. PetSmart offers a comprehensive selection of pet food, toys, bedding, and accessories, alongside in-store services such as grooming, training, pet boarding, and veterinary care through its Banfield Pet Hospital partnerships.

Jay Rosenzweig is an internationally renowned social impact entrepreneur, humanitarian, trained lawyer, and leadership strategist. The founder of Rosenzweig & Company, he is an expert in designing, building and attracting world class teams. Mr. Rosenzweig consults to public and private companies, including large global corporations; emerging growth to mid-sized businesses; professional services firms; and private equity and venture capital firms. He invests in and advises several leading edge tech companies across North America and beyond.

Rosenzweig & Company is a global advisory firm focused on building world-class leadership teams across public and private markets. Based in Toronto, the firm is focused on the critical, often specialized recruiting needs of its clients. The firm also offers management assessment, onboarding and executive coaching, organizational effectiveness, digital media strategy, and risk advisory and compliance services to a growing international client base.

Related: Streamlining the Hiring Process to Secure Top Talent

Since 1995, Ms. Perri has recruited senior executives across a variety of industry sectors, helping organizations build and attract strong leadership teams through trusted relationships with clients and individuals. She brings a combination of global firm expertise and high-end boutique focus. Ms. Perri regularly assists boards and C-suites in navigating the rapidly changing talent marketplace in North America. She has successfully completed complex engagements at the most senior levels of organizations. Ms. Perri has deep experience across both boutique and big firm environments — including Rosenzweig & Company, her own independent search practice, and prior tenures with Heidrick & Struggles and Korn Ferry.

Past Searches

Rosenzweig & Company also recently recruited Mark Cottle as the new CEO of P3 Cost Analysts, a fast-growing cost optimization and procurement analytics company serving organizations ranging from local businesses to Fortune 500 enterprises. Mr. Cottle brings more than two decades of experience helping businesses improve financial performance and drive growth. Throughout his career, he has led full P&Ls across fintech, SaaS, and supply chain organizations, scaling revenue, strengthening margins, expanding partner ecosystems, and driving EBITDA growth.

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“Looking ahead, Mark is excited about how P3 can continue expanding its impact, leveraging technology and AI to capture more market share and deliver even greater value to our clients,” P3 Cost Analysts said in a LinkedIn post. “We’re excited to have Mark leading the next chapter of P3.”

In addition, Rosenzweig & Company placed Mark Bayko as head of North American Equities, BMO Private Wealth. Mr. Bayko brings more than 25 years of investment leadership experience and a proven track record in equity, fixed income, and multi-asset strategies. His deep expertise and ability to scale portfolio management platforms will be instrumental in advancing our client-centric strategy, elevating service delivery, and strengthening portfolio practice management across our North American footprint.

Related: CEOs and CHROs: Strategic Alignment or Differing Priorities?

Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief and Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor  – Hunt Scanlon Media