APRIL 2018 30 | {leadership} OFFICE DOORS Jamie Killin | WEB EDITOR JENNIFER JOST PET CLUB DIRECTOR OF MARKETING

APRIL 2018 | 31 Jennifer Jost’s more than 15 years of corporate experience with brands like Target and PetSmart have more than equipped her to make a difference here in Arizona with Pet Club. The retail pet store, which boasts 40 locations across the state and four more in Colorado, came under new ownership last year, with Jost joining six months ago as the director of marketing. “In my role as the head of marketing, I’m rebranding the entire company down to logos and style guides. So, I handle all aspects of the brand, including store design,” she said. “We’re in the process of remodeling and opening stores, and developing new logos. It’s very different to come in and be able to start from a clean slate and really shape all aspects of the brand.” Part of the revitalization of the Pet Club brand includes a renewed focus on community partnership and giving back — something that’s always been close to Jost’s heart. “My role has always been in marketing, but one of the things I’ve been passionate about is working on reputational and charitable aspects of that,” she said. “Whether that was back in the day with Target’s education program and library remodels or work with PetSmart Charities and their adoptions. When I joined Pet Club, the owners asked me to lead our community commitment strategy.” Through her role at Pet Club, Jost has been able to engage in one of her other passions — animals. Jost has two rescue dogs herself, a 7-year-old Maltese-poodle mix and a Chihuahua-poodle mix she adopted last year. “I do have a love for pets of all types,” she said. “I’m passionate about the rescue side of things.” Jost is also ardent about her ability to make a difference locally through partnerships with Arizona animal-adoption agencies and other pet-centric nonprofits. “Having worked at large companies, I know that one of the things that doesn’t hit their radar is being able to support things at a very local level,” she said. Jost believes that a smaller team and local focus make big changes possible. “We are a small group but we’re looking at how not to do things the same way,” she said. “As a retail executive with lots of experience, I know how other companies operate. We’re purposefully talking every day about how to do things differently. We don’t want to execute in the way other companies are, so it’s exciting to come to work and have your ideas celebrated because they are unique.” It’s that ability to think differently, with a hyper-local focus that Jost hopes will propel Pet Club and its partners forward. “In a lot of larger companies it’s based on how big they are. It’s very one-size-fits-all and you can’t really get into the personalized customization of programs,” Jost said. “It’s one of the things that drew me to Pet Club, along with ownership that’s dedicated to being an Arizona-based company focused on being here locally.” Jamie Killin is a writer, editor and public relations specialist. Her work has been published by Thrillist, Phoenix Magazine, The Arizona Republic, So Scottsdale! and more. She is also the Public Relations and Marketing Manager for Frontdoors Media’s sister company Evans Communications. She is a media enthusiast with experience in all things news, marketing, public relations and social media.