# Dan Waters

> Dan Waters is a Chicago-area consumer-products executive and the chief executive officer of I and love and you, where he leads the natural pet-food company and its Made by Nacho cat-food brand. His career has moved through finance, operations, marketing and general management at Deloitte, Gap, Clorox, Barilla, Bel Brands, Enjoy Life Foods and Hu. Across those roles, his recurring subject has been consumer trust: how brands make ingredient quality, sourcing and transparency legible at the shelf. He also serves on the Winnetka Public Schools board.

- **Role:** Chief Executive Officer at I and love and you
- **Organizations:** I and love and you, Made by Nacho, Hu, Enjoy Life Foods, Bel Brands, Barilla, Clorox, Gap Inc., Deloitte, Winnetka Public Schools District 36
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** B.S. in Finance, Miami University, MBA in Strategy and Marketing, Northwestern University - Kellogg School of Management
- **Known for:** Built a cross-functional consumer-products career spanning finance, operations, marketing and chief executive roles., Led brand strategy, marketing communications and innovation for Bel brands including Babybel, The Laughing Cow, Boursin, Leerdammer and Kiri across Europe and the Americas., Led Enjoy Life Foods and later Hu as chief executive officer.

## Career timeline

- **Early career** — Held finance, operating and consumer-business roles at Deloitte, Gap Inc. and Clorox.
- **Before 2013** — Joined Barilla, where he led the pasta sauce business and the Wasa brand; later launched a beverage startup.
- **2013-2018** — Progressed from marketing director and senior director roles at Bel Brands USA to U.S. chief marketing officer and then marketing leadership for Europe and the Americas.
- **By 2020** — Returned to the Chicago area after a two-year assignment in Paris and became CEO of Enjoy Life Foods.
- **2021** — Began service on the Winnetka Public Schools District 36 board; his current term runs through 2029.
- **2024-2026** — Served as CEO of Hu, speaking publicly about Fairtrade certification, transparent sourcing and long-term producer relationships.
- **2026** — Named CEO of I and love and you, with responsibility for the core brand and the newly acquired Made by Nacho portfolio.

## Achievements

- Built a cross-functional consumer-products career spanning finance, operations, marketing and chief executive roles.
- Led brand strategy, marketing communications and innovation for Bel brands including Babybel, The Laughing Cow, Boursin, Leerdammer and Kiri across Europe and the Americas.
- Led Enjoy Life Foods and later Hu as chief executive officer.
- Represented Hu in Fairtrade cocoa forums, arguing publicly for durable sourcing relationships and visible certification.
- Appointed in 2026 to lead I and love and you and Made by Nacho after the combined pet-food business passed $100 million in annual retail sales.
- Serves his local community as a member and vice-president of the Winnetka Public Schools District 36 board.

## Latest updates

- **2026-08** — Joined I and love and you as chief executive officer, succeeding Michael Meyer, who became chairman.
- **2026-08** — Took responsibility for both I and love and you and Made by Nacho, working with chief culinary officer Bobby Flay and the wider team on product strategy.
- **2025-12** — Recognized by Fairtrade America for representing Hu at the Cocoa Forum in Lima and discussing ethical sourcing.
- **2025-05** — As Enjoy Life Foods CEO, publicly supported clearer third-party product-labeling tools and ingredient transparency.

## Links

- Website: https://iandloveandyou.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-waters-a651783
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/ilypet
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/iandloveandyoupet
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iandloveandyoupet/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/iandloveandyoupet/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/dan-waters
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-09-26