The company behind FURminator, Tetra, Cutter and Remington made billions by selling a business it had improved. Its next trick is harder: proving that a smaller portfolio can grow without losing the scale that made the collection useful.

From treasury desks to grocery aisles, the Central Garden & Pet executive has built a career on a deceptively simple idea: listen closely before asking a brand to speak.

Jennifer Bentz spent three decades learning how shoppers reveal what they want. Now Utz Brands’ chief marketing officer is turning that habit of attention into a playbook for a century-old snack company: sharpen the portfolio, test early, and let evidence earn the next bet.