Erica Taves

About Erica Taves

Experienced Brand Builder with a proven track record of delivering top line growth and bottom line improvement - both within declining mainstream categories and on hyper-growth brands with footholds in the premium, natural & organic spaces. Unique set of experiences within a Fortune 200 leading shelf-stable and perishables, human and pet food, B2C and B2B, and working directly with brand founders. Ownership of P & Ls in excess of $1B and marketing budgets in excess of $100MM. Beloved people manager known for developing direct reports to promotion. Earned General Mills’ three highest annual global honors- Engaging Leader Award for people management, awarded to only 4 individuals - Champions Award for business results, awarded to only 5 teams - Gold Medal Award for outstanding marketing campaigns, awarded to only 5 teamsWith a passion for building and penchant for scrappiness, Erica is known for her unique skills in both leading turnarounds and harnessing tailwinds to drive accelerated growth.

Experience

1. Category Director

   PetSafe Brands

   Oct 2024 — Present · Knoxville, TN, US

   P&L responsibility for World\'s #1 automatic litterbox system. Responsible for enterprise\'s largest category, waste management, which includes automatic litter boxes and crystal litter.PetSafe® is one of the largest manufacturers of hard pet goods for dogs and cats, with brands including Invisible Fence Brand®, Kurgo®, PetSafe™ SportDOG® and Premier Pet®. Founded in 1991 as Radio Systems Corporation, PetSafe Brands™ has grown into a global corporation selling in over 52 countries.

Education

• Washington University in St. Louis

  BSBA, Majors: Marketing, International Business; Minor: Spanish

  2006 — 2010

• Instituto Internacional

  Spanish and Iberian Studies

  2007 — 2007

• The Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth

  Master of Business Administration (MBA), Business Administration and Management, General

  2013 — 2015

• Northwestern University - Kellogg School of Management

  Certificate Program - Executive Education, Brand Management

• Washington University in St. Louis - Olin Business School

  BSBA, Majors: Marketing, International Business; Minor: Spanish

  2006 — 2010

Skills

• Spanish
• Leadership
• Management
• Data Analysis
• Microsoft Excel
• Powerpoint
• Social Media
• Financial Modeling
• Business Strategy
• Marketing
• Pricing
• Program Management
• Merchandising
• Marketing Strategy
• Market Research
• Microsoft Office
• Product Development
• Strategy