Former Best Buy Exec Mary Miller Joins PetSmart as Senior Vice President, CMO; New Vice President of Customer Relationship Marketing Also Joins Marketing Team.

PHOENIX -- PetSmart, Inc. has appointed two new executives to lead its Marketing efforts.

Mary Miller joins the company as senior vice president and chief marketing officer, effective July 24. A former vice president of strategic marketing services for Best Buy, Miller will provide strategic, hands-on direction to the company's overall marketing efforts, including brand stewardship, Internet marketing and loyalty marketing programs. She will report to Robert Moran, president and chief operating officer. Ken Hall, who had been serving a dual function overseeing marketing and merchandising, will continue to serve as senior vice president of merchandising.

Erica Thompson, formerly vice president of marketing at Massachusetts-based Tweeter Home Entertainment, joins the company effective July 31 as vice president, customer relationship marketing, and will report to Miller.

"Further differentiating PetSmart from the competition is fundamental to PetSmart's overall marketing strategy," said Phil Francis, chairman and chief executive officer. "Mary and Erica bring to us depth of knowledge and experience in consumer loyalty and brand marketing, and a fresh perspective to our overall marketing effort. Their leadership will help us create even more compelling reasons for customers to shop our stores and take advantage of our products and services."

Miller joined Best Buy, a $30.8 billion multi-national retailer, in 1998. Previously, she served 13 years at Pillsbury Company, where she began her career as a financial analyst. She quickly migrated into an ascendant role in marketing, ultimately serving as business team leader and director for Pillsbury's refrigerated baked goods product line. Miller holds a bachelor's degree in Economics from Northwestern University and an M.B.A. from the University of Minnesota.

Thompson joined Tweeter in 2005. She previously was vice president of customer relationship marketing for New York & Co. (formerly Lerner Stores) for two years, and held the same position prior to that at Home Shopping Network. She began her career at the Walt Disney Company as a business analyst for new business development.

Miller is a pet parent to Tigger, a Springer Spaniel, and Thompson is pet parent to Sophie, a Collie.

PetSmart, Inc. (NASDAQ: PETM) is the largest specialty retailer of services and solutions for the lifetime needs of pets. The company operates more than 850 pet stores in the United States and Canada, a growing number of in-store PetsHotels, and is a leading online provider of pet products and information (www.PetSmart.com). PetSmart provides a broad range of competitively priced pet food and supplies; offers complete pet training, grooming, boarding, day camp and adoption services; and provides a full line of equine products through State Line Tack. Since 1994, PetSmart Charities, an independent 501(c)(3) organization, has donated more than $42 million to animal welfare programs and, through its in-store adoption programs, has saved the lives of more than 2.6 million pets.