On Monday, QXO announced that Ken West will join the company as president and chief operating officer on Sept. 1, 2026, moving from Honeywell Technologies to oversee the firm’s day-to-day operations as it pursues a rapid expansion strategy.
West will report to chairman and CEO Brad Jacobs and take primary responsibility for executing the company’s operating plan across its businesses.
He brings more than 20 years of experience running large industrial organizations through complex integrations, portfolio shifts and M&A. West most recently served as president and CEO of Honeywell Process Technology, which holds a leading global position in process technology.
At Honeywell, West helped reshape the Process Technology unit into a more growth-focused business, including the spin-off of what is now Solstice Advanced Materials. He also led Honeywell’s 2025 acquisition of Sundyne and directed its integration into the company’s automation and digital platforms.
West joined Honeywell in 2018 and rose to lead three major segments in six years. Before heading Process Technology, he served as president and CEO of Energy and Sustainability Solutions, president and CEO of Honeywell UOP, and president of Honeywell Advanced Materials.
Prior to Honeywell, West spent 13 years at PPG Industries, where he was global vice president of packaging coatings and held leadership roles in operations, integration, corporate planning and finance. There, he led the integration of AkzoNobel Architectural Coatings North America, a deal that helped establish PPG as what the company called the world’s largest coatings manufacturer.
Jacobs said West’s background is aligned with QXO’s focus on scaling through acquisitions.
“Ken is an exceptional operator with the executional rigor to lead QXO’s operations,” Jacobs said in the company’s announcement. “He has demonstrated an ability to achieve outstanding results across a number of industrial businesses. His leadership will be instrumental as we look to scale our platform and deliver outsized shareholder value.”
West said he sees a significant opportunity in QXO’s strategy within building products distribution.
“I’m excited to join QXO at this pivotal moment in its growth,” West said. “We have an extraordinary opportunity to build the preeminent company in the building products industry, and I’m eager to help transform the QXO team’s bold vision into reality.”
The appointment comes as QXO pursues an aggressive consolidation plan in the fragmented building products space, with a stated goal of reaching $50 billion in annual revenue over the next several years. In February, QXO announced it would acquire Kodiak Building Partners for $2.25 billion. Two months later, it announced a $17 billion agreement to acquire TopBuild, a major insulation and specialty distribution business.
A QXO spokesperson said West’s integration track record was a key factor in the hire as the company works to bring together multiple large platforms.
“Ken is particularly strong in integrating large, complex businesses, having led Honeywell’s 2025 acquisition of Sundyne and spearheading its integration into Honeywell’s automation and digital businesses,” the spokesperson said. “More recently, he led the acquisition of Johnson Matthey’s Catalyst Technologies business and spearheaded the integration process.”
West holds an MBA from Carnegie Mellon University’s Tepper School of Business and a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Purdue University.