Jeld-Wen’s board of directors has named Gary S. Michel as the company’s president and chief executive officer
Jeld-Wen’s new president and CEO is Gary S. Michel, who joins Jeld-Wen from Honeywell International, to replace Mark Beck, who left the company in February.
Jeld-Wen’s board of directors has named Gary S. Michel as the company’s president and chief executive officer effective 18 June 2018. He replaces Mark Beck, who unexpectedly departed the company in February.
Michel will also be elected to Jeld-Wen’s board of directors. Kirk S. Hachigian, chair of the board of directors and acting chief executive officer, will continue as chair and work with Michel to ensure a successful transition.
Michel joins Jeld-Wen from Honeywell International Inc., where he was president and chief executive officer of Honeywell’s Home and Building Technologies strategic business group. Previously, Michel had a 32-year career at Ingersoll-Rand, most recently serving as senior vice president and president Residential HVAC and Supply, a business he transformed over six years to deliver substantial improvements in revenue growth, operating income and new product development. Michel also led Ingersoll-Rand’s Club Car, Construction Technologies, Road Development, and Utility Equipment businesses. Michel earned his B.S. in mechanical engineering at Virginia Tech and his M.B.A. at the University of Phoenix.
“After a very thorough search process, I am thrilled to have Gary join us as chief executive officer and as a member of our board of directors,” said Hachigian. “Gary has deep operational experience with a compelling track record of delivering financial results at large, complex, global businesses. Gary is the right leader for Jeld-Wen given the breadth of his experience and established relationships in both the residential and commercial segments of the building industry, as well as his demonstrated ability to generate long-term growth and margin improvement.”
Michel said he was honoured to join Jeld-Wen.
“Our focus will remain on supporting our customers while creating shareholder value through continued margin expansion, strong free cash flow generation, and disciplined capital deployment,” he said. “I am confident that we have the right strategy and operating model already in place, and I have been very impressed by the senior leadership team that I have met so far. I look forward to working with Kirk, the board of directors, and our global team of associates to lead Jeld-Wen through its next exciting phase.”
Beck, who joined Jeld-Wen in November 2015, oversaw the company’s decision to go public. The company launched its initial public offering (IPO) in January 2017 on the New York Stock Exchange. He also led Jeld-Wen through several acquisitions. Since 2015, the company has purchased 11 firms, mostly in Australia and Europe.
Beck also led the company’s move from Oregon to Charlotte, N.C., in 2016, where it just opened a new 120,000-square-foot corporate headquarters campus and training centre.