Instinct Welcomes Mike Krahn as New Vice President of Sales

Instinct Pet Food is thrilled to announce the appointment of Mike Krahn as Vice President of Sales, effective April 21st.  

With more than 15 years of experience in the food and beverage industry, Mike brings a wealth of knowledge and leadership to the role. He will be instrumental in expanding Instinct’s customer partnerships and driving revenue, margin, and market share growth—helping advance Instinct’s mission to become a leading premium pet food brand in the U.S. 

Mike most recently served as Senior Director of Walmart and Sam’s Club at Hershey Salty Snacks. He has played a pivotal role in integrating several major acquisitions—including Dot’s Pretzels, SkinnyPop, and Pirate’s Booty—while leading commercial strategy and channel sales. During his tenure, he helped grow the U.S. Salty Snacks business by over $1 billion. 

Prior to this, Mike held multiple leadership roles in Sales and Strategy throughout his 7+ years at Hershey. His strategic acumen and customer-centric mindset make him a valuable addition to the Instinct team. 

Mike is excited to bring his expertise in the human food industry to the pet food industry. “I’m energized by this category shift in my career,” Krahn says. “Bringing better-for-you food options to households has been something I’ve done throughout my career on the human side. Now, as more people see their pets as family members, they want the same nutritional quality for them as they have for themselves. I’m proud that Instinct is uncompromising on the quality of its products that improve the lives of pets and I’m excited to bring these best-in-class products into more people’s homes in the U.S.” 

 The Instinct team looks forward to Mike’s leadership as they seek to accelerate growth and further their mission to transform the lives of pets through raw nutrition. Instinct CEO Beau Mainous says, “Mike is a tremendous addition to our talented leadership team. He brings a wealth of knowledge combined with a passion for delivering results and building relationships. His energy and leadership of our sales organization will serve as a catalyst for our growth ambitions.”