Sandy's Dog Training Elite taps veteran, former Exxon executive as new CEO
Dog Training Elite, a dog training franchise company based in Sandy, has named Betsy Feaster as CEO. Feaster served in the U.S. Air Force for over a decade before joining ExxonMobil and advancing to become a senior executive. After leaving ExxonMobil, she and her husband opened a Dog Training Elite franchise in Louisiana.
“We had so much fun. We really enjoyed meeting the prior leadership staff. We got along well with everyone, and we really understood the business,” said Feaster. “About a year after we bought our first territory, things were going well, and we decided to buy territories in the Greater Philadelphia area. Between there and Louisiana, we had 16 territories.”
When the founder of Dog Training Elite decided to sell, the Feasters purchased the company and Betsy Feaster, who had previously been appointed to the board of directors, was named CEO.
“This company changed my life,” Feaster said. “I went from being incredibly stressed at Exxon to doing something I love every day. The folks here make me happy and I’m much happier here both as a franchisee and a member of the leadership team.”
Feaster credits being a franchisee with giving her the tools to lead the company.
“I think having a franchise owner in this position is helpful for engagement with the franchisees,” she said. “The same issues that they have, I have. I can understand where they’re coming from and balance the needs of local owners with the needs of the overarching business. The engagement is healthy, and feedback has already been positive.”