Logistics veteran James Gagne joins BARK (NYSE: BARK) board and governance committee
Filing Impact
Filing Sentiment
Form Type
8-K
Rhea-AI Filing Summary
BARK, Inc. appointed James Gagne to its Board of Directors as a Class A director, effective immediately, for a term running through the 2028 annual meeting of stockholders. He will serve as a non-employee director under the company’s existing director compensation program.
The Board also named Mr. Gagne to its Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee, and he will receive an additional annual cash retainer of $7,500 for this role, paid in quarterly installments. In connection with his appointment, the Board size increased from seven to eight members, and BARK will enter into its customary indemnity agreement with him.
Positive
- None.
Negative
- None.
8-K Event Classification
2 items: 5.02, 9.01
2 items
Item 5.02
Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers
Governance
Key personnel changes including departures, elections, or appointments of directors and executive officers.
Item 9.01
Financial Statements and Exhibits
Exhibits
Financial statements, pro forma financial information, and exhibit attachments filed with this report.
Key Figures
Committee retainer: $7,500 annual cash retainer
SEKO revenue before expansion: around $400M revenue
SEKO revenue after expansion: $2.4B revenue
+3 more
6 metrics
Committee retainer
$7,500 annual cash retainer
Additional compensation for Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee service
SEKO revenue before expansion
around $400M revenue
SEKO Logistics revenue before global expansion under Gagne
SEKO revenue after expansion
$2.4B revenue
SEKO Logistics revenue after expansion to 60 countries under Gagne
Board size after appointment
8 directors
Board increased from seven to eight members with Gagne’s addition
SEKO country footprint after expansion
60 countries
SEKO Logistics geographic reach after expansion led by Gagne
Experience in logistics
over 30 years
James Gagne’s leadership experience in global supply chain and logistics
Key Terms
Class A director, Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee, independent director, Indemnity Agreement, +2 more
6 terms
Class A director financial
"appointed James Gagne as a member of the Board, effective immediately, as a Class A director"
A Class A director is a member of a company’s board chosen under a specific category of directors that carries particular voting rights, term length, or selection rules. Think of it like a reserved seat at a table with its own rules: who can fill it, how long they stay, and how much say they have. Investors care because these distinctions affect who controls decisions, corporate stability, and how easily the board can change after shareholders push for new leadership.
Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee financial
"the Board appointed Mr. Gagne to its Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee"
A corporate governance and nominating committee is a group of independent board members who set rules for how a company is run and choose or vet candidates for the board and senior leadership. Think of them as the company’s rulebook authors and hiring panel for its top oversight team; their choices and policies influence management accountability, risk oversight and investor confidence, so investors watch them for signs of strong leadership and transparency.
independent director financial
"having determined that Mr. Gagne qualifies as an independent director under the applicable standards of the New York Stock Exchange"
An independent director is a member of a company's board of directors who is not involved in the company's day-to-day operations and has no significant relationships with the company that could influence their judgment. Their role is to provide unbiased oversight and ensure the company is managed in the best interests of all shareholders. This helps build trust and confidence among investors by promoting transparency and accountability.
Indemnity Agreement financial
"The Company will enter into its customary form of Indemnity Agreement with Mr. Gagne"
forward-looking statements financial
"This press release contains forward-looking statements that are based on the Company’s current expectations"
Forward-looking statements are predictions or plans that companies share about what they expect to happen in the future, like estimating sales or profits. They matter because they help investors understand a company's outlook, but since they are based on guesses and assumptions, they can sometimes be wrong.
emerging growth company financial
"Emerging growth company"
An emerging growth company is a recently public or smaller public firm that qualifies for temporary, lighter regulatory and disclosure rules to reduce the cost and effort of being public. For investors, it means the company may provide less historical financial detail and face fewer reporting requirements than larger firms, so it can grow more quickly but also carries higher uncertainty—like buying a promising early-stage product with fewer user reviews.
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Date of Report (Date Earliest Event Reported):
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Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:
| Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425) | |||||
| Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12) | |||||
| Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b)) | |||||
| Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e- 4(c)) | |||||
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
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Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).
Emerging growth company ☐
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐
Item 5.02 Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers.
On May 4, 2026, the Board of Directors (the “Board”) of BARK, Inc. (the “Company”) announced the appointment of James Gagne as a member of the Board, effective immediately, as a Class A director for a term expiring at the Company's 2028 annual meeting of stockholders and until his successor is duly elected and qualified.
As a non-employee director, Mr. Gagne is entitled to receive compensation arrangements in accordance with the Company’s director compensation program as described in the Company’s definitive proxy statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 12, 2026. In addition, the Board appointed Mr. Gagne to its Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee, having determined that Mr. Gagne qualifies as an independent director under the applicable standards of the New York Stock Exchange. Mr. Gagne shall receive an additional annual cash retainer of $7,500, paid in substantially equal quarterly installments, for service on such committee.
The Company will enter into its customary form of Indemnity Agreement with Mr. Gagne. There is no arrangement or understanding between Mr. Gagne and any other persons pursuant to which Mr. Gagne was appointed as a director. Furthermore, there are no transactions between Mr. Gagne and the Company that would be required to be reported under Item 404(a) of Regulation S-K.
In connection with the appointment of Mr. Gagne, the size of the Board was increased from seven to eight members.
A copy of the Company's press release announcing Mr. Gagne's appointment is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K and is furnished herewith.
Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits
(d) Exhibits
| Exhibit No. | Description | |||||||
| 99.1 | Press release dated May 4, 2026 | |||||||
| 104 | Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document) | |||||||
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
| BARK, Inc. | |||||
| By: | /s/ Allison Koehler | ||||
| Name: Allison Koehler | |||||
| Title: Chief Legal Officer | |||||
Date: May 4, 2026
BARK Announces Appointment of James Gagne to Board of Directors
Mr. Gagne brings over 30 Years of Global Supply Chain, Logistics and Operations Leadership to BARK
NEW YORK, May 4, 2026 — BARK, Inc. (NYSE: BARK) (“BARK” or the “Company”), a leading dog brand with a mission to make all dogs happy, today announced that James Gagne has joined the Company’s Board of Directors (the “Board”), effective immediately.
Mr. Gagne is a seasoned executive with over 30 years of leadership in global supply chain and logistics. He recently founded, and is Chief Executive Officer of KYNTRX Logistics, a next generation, asset-light logistics platform designed to serve critical infrastructure and regulated industries including defense, space, semiconductor/AI, and energy transition. Mr. Gagne also serves as a Board Trustee and member of the Strategic Committee at the Foreign Policy Research Institute, where he brings his experience on linkages between policy, the global economy and supply chains to various industries. From 2017 until 2024, he served as President and Chief Executive Officer of SEKO Logistics, a leading global supply chain logistics company, where he architected and led its global expansion from operations in three countries and around $400M in revenue to a global enterprise spanning 60 countries and $2.4B in revenue.
“James brings deep experience across global supply chain operations while growing revenue.” said Matt Meeker, Chief Executive Officer. “Having served as CEO at SEKO Logistics and scaled their business in a manner that substantially increased their topline, we’re excited to work with him at BARK. Collectively, his expertise in operations architecture in supply chain and logistics is incredibly valuable, and I am thrilled to welcome him to our Board.”
“I’m excited to join BARK’s Board,” said Mr. Gagne. “I look forward to supporting the development of a differentiated, scalable supply chain that can unlock both operational and strategic value.”
About James Gagne
James Gagne is a global transportation and logistics executive, entrepreneur, and investor with more than 30 years of experience building, scaling, and transforming asset-light supply chain platforms across North America, Europe, and Asia. He spent over 20 years living and operating in China and Hong Kong, holding senior executive and CEO roles with Agility, BAX Global / Schenker, and A.P. Moller–Maersk, developing deep expertise across air, ocean, ground transportation, contract logistics, and compliance-intensive supply chains. Mr. Gagne has led and supported over forty acquisitions and joint ventures throughout his career. He holds a B.S. from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy and speaks Mandarin Chinese.
About BARK
BARK is the world’s most dog-centric company, devoted to making all dogs happy with the best products, food, services, and content. BARK’s dog-obsessed team leverages its unique, data-driven understanding of what makes each dog special to design playstyle-specific toys, wildly satisfying treats, dog-first experiences that foster the health and happiness of dogs everywhere, and more. Founded in 2011, BARK loyally serves millions of dogs nationwide with BarkBox and Super Chewer, its themed toys and treats subscriptions; custom product collections through its retail partner network, including
Target, Chewy, and Amazon; BARK in the Belly, a premium dog food and consumables line that donates 100% of food profits to fight canine hunger; and BARK Air, the first air travel experience designed specifically for dogs first. At BARK, we want to make dogs as happy as they make us because dogs and humans are better together. Sniff around at bark.co for more information.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements that are based on the Company’s current expectations, forecasts and assumptions and involve risks and uncertainties. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “could,” “expect,” “plan,” "anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “intend,” “potential,” “continue,” “ongoing” or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology. Actual results and outcomes could differ materially from any results or outcomes made or implied in such forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to, risks and information included under the captions “Risk Factors” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in the Company's quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended December 31, 2025, filed with the SEC on February 5, 2026, copies of which may be obtained by visiting the Company’s Investor Relations website at https://investors.bark.co/ or the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking statements in this press release, which are based on information available to the Company on the date hereof. The Company assumes no obligation to update such statements except as required by law.
Contacts
Investors:
investors@barkbox.com
Media:
press@barkbox.com
FAQ
What change did BARK (BARK) announce regarding its Board of Directors?
BARK announced that James Gagne has joined its Board of Directors as a Class A director, effective immediately, with a term expiring at the 2028 annual meeting, increasing the Board size from seven to eight members.
Who is James Gagne, the new BARK (BARK) board member?
James Gagne is a seasoned executive with over 30 years in global supply chain and logistics. He is CEO of KYNTRX Logistics and previously led SEKO Logistics, expanding it from three countries and about $400M in revenue to 60 countries and $2.4B in revenue.
What committee role will James Gagne hold at BARK (BARK)?
James Gagne was appointed to BARK’s Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee. For this additional service, he will receive an annual cash retainer of $7,500, paid in substantially equal quarterly installments under the company’s compensation practices.
How will James Gagne be compensated as a BARK (BARK) director?
As a non-employee director, James Gagne will receive compensation under BARK’s existing director compensation program described in its February 12, 2026 proxy statement, plus an additional $7,500 annual cash retainer for serving on the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee.
Is James Gagne considered independent under NYSE rules for BARK (BARK)?
BARK’s Board determined that James Gagne qualifies as an independent director under applicable New York Stock Exchange standards, supporting his appointment to both the Board and the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee as disclosed in the company’s announcement.