Our Franchise Team
Meet Our Executive Team
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Jim Carpenter
Founder, President & CEO
Jim Carpenter is the Founder, President & CEO of Wild Birds Unlimited. In 1981, he opened the first WBU location, a 700 square foot retail shop on the north side of Indianapolis. By 1983, he began franchising the concept, which has grown to more than 300 locations across the US and Canada. Jim is intensely involved in the hobby, having designed many successful bird feeding products and developed retail concepts implemented in Wild Birds Unlimited stores. He is the author of The Joy of Bird Feeding, and holds a B.A. in Biology from Indiana University and a Master’s Degree in Horticulture/Plant Physiology from Purdue University.
Jim Carpenter
Founder, President & CEO
Paul E. Pickett
Chief Development Officer/EVP of Franchising
Paul’s career with Wild Bird Unlimited has perfectly combined his love of birds, nature and people. Paul joined the WBU team as the first full time employee in 1989 shortly after graduating with his Master’s Degree in Biology/Ornithology from the University of North Dakota. Paul has more than two decades of experience in working with potential franchisees as they decide to join the WBU team and has managed all of the site selection/lease negotiation assistance for the WBU system.
Paul E. Pickett
Chief Development Officer/EVP of Franchising
Amy Moore
COO/SVP of Retail Concepts
Amy Moore is a seasoned executive and passionate nature enthusiast, serving as Wild Birds Unlimited’s Chief Operating Officer (COO) since September 2022. Prior to that, Amy served in several roles such as Vice President of Retail Concepts since November 2019, Director of Retail Operations Support since September of 2007 and has been with us since 1994 in a variety of other positions, including most recently, as a Business Consultant and Training Manager. Her family owned and operated a Wild Birds Unlimited store from 1980 to 2004. Amy spent her childhood in the cold winters of Northern Michigan and fell in love with watching the abundance of wildlife that came to her family’s bird feeders.
Amy Moore
Chief Operating Officer/SVP of Retail Concepts
Scott Prill
VP of Franchisee Communications and Training
Prior to joining Wild Birds Unlimited in February 2020, Scott served as the Director of Culture and Communications for Defenders, Inc. in Indianapolis, Indiana. Scott has had extensive experience in managing communications and training throughout his 30+ year plus career. Scott is an avid outdoorsman and has been a backyard bird feeding hobbyist for a number years.
Scott Prill
VP of Franchisee Communications and Training
Christa Anderson
VP of Coaching Support
Christa started her career at WBU in our Retail Operations department in 2011 and was promoted to Director of Coaching Support in 2019, managing the Business Coaches who provide the one-on-one support to our Franchise Store Owners. In 2021, she was promoted to Vice President of Coaching Support focusing on strategic support services to maximize franchisee profitability. Christa came to WBU with a lifetime career in retail, working for Target, Federated Department stores and Barnes & Noble. Christa’s love of birds and nature dovetailed perfectly with her love of helping business owners meet their personal and professional goals. When Christa is not working, she enjoys time with her husband and two teenagers.
Christa Anderson
VP of Coaching Support
Cheryl Camp
VP Controller
Cheryl joined Wild Birds Unlimited in 2007 and serves as Controller. She graduated from Purdue University with a Bachelor of Science in Management/Accounting. Cheryl is a Certified Public Accountant in Indiana and holds a Master of Business Administration from Butler University. Her background includes experience in public accounting, insurance, construction and retail. Cheryl is responsible for the corporate accounting functions at the Franchise Support Center. Cheryl enjoys watching the backyard birds with her family.
Cheryl Camp
VP Controller
Jim Lesch
VP of Product and Supply
Jim started with Wild Birds Unlimited in 1990 and has served in several positions including as Director of Product from 1994 to 2021 and as Vice President of Product & Supply since then. He earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Management & Organizations from Indiana University School of Business and was an independent real estate appraiser before joining WBU. Jim’s 30+ years of experience working with manufacturers and distributors of backyard bird feeding products has provided WBU with indispensable supplier relationships, advantageous buying programs and exclusive private label merchandise. Jim is currently on the Board of Directors of the Wild Bird Feeding Industry and has volunteered his time and talent on the industry’s trade association board for more than 20 years. Jim takes great satisfaction in having a career that mixes his lifelong love of birds and nature with the challenges of business, retail and relationship building.
Jim Lesch
VP of Product and Supply
Dan Dobbs
VP of Information Systems/CIO
Dan was hired by WBU in 2016 and has served as VP/Chief Information Officer since late 2021. Dan has more than 30 years of computer technology leadership experience. Dan holds a BS of Computer Technology from Purdue University, and an MBA from Indiana University Kelley School of Business. Dan’s professional experience includes almost two decades at General Motors Corporation, also provided executive leadership at a not-for-profit healthcare association, and later as VP of Information Systems at a 700-territory global senior care franchise system. Dan is responsible for the overall Information Technology strategy for WBU, and manages the Information Systems Department staff and resources. Dan’s specialty is in building custom business intelligence systems and analytics to help franchisees understand how they can “move the needle”. Dan enjoys motorcycle touring, local sporting events with his family, and redirecting his home surveillance cameras previously pointed at his front door to now his backyard bird feeders
Dan Dobbs
VP of Information Systems/CIO
Bo Lowery
VP of Marketing
Bo spent much of her childhood working in her family’s specialty retail store in Indianapolis, where she learned all aspects of operating a small business. Prior to joining Wild Birds Unlimited, Bo spent 15 years in the publishing industry as a writer, editor and art director. She began her career with WBU in 1998 as Communications Manager and moved into a marketing role in 2011 as Director of Marketing, leading all aspects of consumer marketing for WBU. Since 2021, Bo has served as Vice President of Marketing – responsible for the strategies which promote the WBU brand. Bo’s grandfather first introduced her to bird feeding as a young child and her parents instilled a lifelong love of nature.
Bo Lowery
VP of Marketing
John Schaust
Chief Naturalist
Prior to joining Wild Birds Unlimited in 2004, John spent 26 years as a professional naturalist with federal, state and local agencies, specializing in environmental education, nature center operations and natural resources management. John is an avid birder and backyard bird feeder and has been a federally licensed bird bander for over 40 years. As WBU’s Chief Naturalist, he enlists scientific research about birds to enhance the hobby of backyard bird feeding and to provide nature education materials for WBU franchise stores.
John Schaust
Chief Naturalist
Franchise Development Team
Paul Pickett- Chief Development Officer, EVP of Franchising
Seth Holan- Director of Franchise Development
Audrey Kleine- Lead Qualifier, FD Marketing Specialist
Stephanie McFarland- Administrative Assistant
The Wild Birds Unlimited Franchise Development team is focused on delivering an exceptional and thorough process to all of our candidates to ensure that we are a great match, from a culture, value and business goals standpoint. Our Franchise Update STAR award winning process promises to be educational, exciting and fun, all at the same time.