Wedgwood Announces CEO Retirement and New CEO

SWEDESBORO, NJ – July 2, 2024 — Wedgewood, the nation’s largest veterinary compounding pharmacy and a trusted provider of online pharmacy services, announced today that Marcy Bliss will retire from her role as Chief Executive Officer. She will retain her position on the Wedgewood Board and serve as a Senior Advisor to the incoming CEO and Board.

Bliss has been with Wedgewood for 25 years, the last eight as CEO. She has been an extraordinary leader at Wedgewood, a tireless defender of veterinary compounding and a fierce advocate for the rights of animals. During her tenure as CEO, Wedgewood Pharmacy expanded its operational reach through several significant acquisitions as well as leading-edge technology with the launch this year of Blue Rabbit, a next-generation prescription management platform for veterinarians and their clients.

“It has been a remarkable personal and professional journey to collaborate alongside the 1,200 dedicated staff at Wedgewood who tirelessly serve our customers every day,” said Bliss. “It was an honor and a privilege to work with this team and lead and grow this company, but the time is right for me to retire. I will miss the day-to-day of Wedgewood, but I am looking forward to having more time for family, travel and my commitments to several private equity Board positions.”

Wedgewood is pleased to announce that Alejandro Bernal, DVM, MS, MBA, has been named the incoming CEO of Wedgewood Pharmacy. He will assume this role on July 8.

Bernal is a seasoned Animal Health executive, with global experience in fast-growing and large-scale businesses in the animal health and pet care industries for over 25 years. He comes to Wedgewood most recently from the role of President and CEO of PetDx®. Prior to that, as President for Mars Veterinary Health International and Diagnostics, Bernal led the consolidation and operations of a 700 veterinary hospitals network in Europe and Asia, and Antech Diagnostics in North America. Prior to joining Mars Veterinary Health, he spent 18 years at Zoetis (and its predecessor, Pfizer Animal Health), 10 of them as a member of the Zoetis Executive Team.

Bernal received his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree from Universidad de Caldas in Colombia and earned a Master’s of Science (MSc) from Texas A&M University. After working as a veterinarian at a dairy consortium, he earned a Master’s of Business Administration (MBA) from Universidad de los Andes (Colombia) and Manchester Business School (U.K.).

“I am honored to be appointed Chief Executive Officer of Wedgewood Pharmacy,” said Bernal. “As the leader in veterinary compounding, Wedgewood makes it easy to treat animals with unique medical needs. I’m inspired by the opportunity to impact the future of millions of pets and their caregivers with Wedgewood’s products, services and insights.”

Wedgewood’s business is built on creating relationships with veterinarians, and the company will leverage Bernal’s background as a veterinarian and his operational experience in veterinary services to bring additional insights into improving the lives of animals and those who love and care for them.

“We are very excited about the future of Wedgewood Pharmacy. Marcy’s 25-year legacy is an inspiration and on behalf of the Board, we thank her for her dedicated leadership,” said Kevin Vasquez, Chairman of the Wedgewood Board. “Marcy is leaving Wedgewood Pharmacy in a powerful, industry-leading position, and we are confident that Alejandro will continue to build on that success. He’s a collaborative and solution-focused leader who will continue the Company’s commitment to innovation and care for the health of animals.”

Over the last 40 years, Wedgewood has grown from a small, independent community pharmacy to become the nation’s largest provider of compounded veterinary medications and clinical pharmacy services. Our five PCAB®-accredited state-licensed pharmacies and our two FDA-registered, cGMP 503B outsourcing facilities represent the gold standard in pharmacy practice, reflecting our unwavering commitment to quality. The 2023 merger with Blue Rabbit, an emerging leader in veterinary prescription management and pharmacy solutions, marks a significant evolution in our services, enabling us to provide veterinarians with next-generation software and a wide range of FDA-approved drugs, diets and supplements to streamline patient care. Together, we serve more than 70,000 veterinary professionals and one million animals annually. Wedgewood is more than a pharmacy – we are educators, advocates, partners and solution providers for veterinarians, dedicated to improving the lives of animals and those who love and care for them. For more information, visit Wedgewood.com.