POOLCORP has announced a leadership transition with the appointment of John B. Watwood as President and Chief Executive Officer, effective from 4 May 2026. He succeeds Peter D. Arvan, who is stepping down as President and Chief Executive Officer and from the company's Board of Directors. John E. Stokely, previously Chairman of the Board, has been appointed Executive Chair.

A transition to support the next phase of growth

John B. Watwood joined POOLCORP in January 2026 as Executive Vice President. He brings more than twenty years of experience in industrial and speciality distribution, with expertise in strategy, operations and business development. Before joining POOLCORP, he served as Senior Vice President of Sales and Operations at Motion Industries, a subsidiary of Genuine Parts Company and a distributor of industrial parts and value-added solutions. He also previously worked for SMC Corporation of America and Applied Industrial Technologies.

According to John E. Stokely, this transition is aligned with POOLCORP's strategic priorities and the succession planning work carried out by the Board of Directors. He also acknowledged Peter D. Arvan's nine years of commitment to the company, highlighting the progress made in innovation and operational excellence.

I am honored to have the opportunity to lead this exceptional company and appreciate the Board's trust and support. My priority will be building upon the strong foundation already in place to continue as the best worldwide distributor of outdoor lifestyle products. I am excited to continue working with the talented POOLCORP team as we execute our strategy and continue delivering the exceptional value and service that have long defined POOLCORP - John B. Watwood 

John B. Watwood said he intends to build on the foundations already in place to continue developing POOLCORP as a leading global distributor of outdoor lifestyle products. Peter D. Arvan, for his part, highlighted the team built by the company, its customer service culture and its operational excellence.

This leadership transition comes as POOLCORP continues to strengthen its role as a key partner for pool professionals, with a focus on customer service, operational efficiency and the development of solutions designed to support its customers in their day-to-day business.