Independence Pet Holdings (IPH) which manages 15 brands in North America across pet insurance, pet education, and lost pet recovery, has brought Jared Vestal on board to be its first-ever chief customer and marketing officer.

Vestal joins the Felix owner from Geico, where he was vp, of growth and journey marketing for nearly two years. Before working for the insurance giant he held senior roles at companies including Salesforce, FreshDirect, and Omnicom Media Group.

His new remit will cover customer acquisition, customer experience, and loyalty programs. He will be tasked with implementing a data-driven, customer-first strategy across the group’s portfolio of brands, which include Embrace Pet Insurance and Figo.

IPH CEO, Kirk Haggard, said in a statement, “We are thrilled to welcome Jared to IPH and believe he will play a pivotal role in advancing IPH’s alignment with evolving customer expectations and further establishing the company as a leader in the pet care and insurance space.”

Vestal added, “IPH’s diverse portfolio of brands brings a unique strength to the company and I’m excited to work with the various marketing leaders to best serve our customers.”

A growing market

Grand View Research forecasts the global pet insurance market will grow at an annual rate of 17.97% between 2025 and 2030, and the company said Vestal will develop a “holistic customer growth framework,” to capitalize on this.

Citing a study by its PetPartners brand, IPH claims 59% of pet owners prefer pet insurance over traditional health and wellness programs offered by employers.

A further 64% said the availability of paid time off for pet emergencies would influence their preference for their next job.