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Woodward President and Chief Executive Officer Thomas A. Gendron Announces Retirement
Charles (Chip) Blankenship Named as Successor FORT COLLINS, Colo., April 21, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Woodward, Inc. (NASDAQ: WWD) announced today that, after
About this update from Woodward, Inc.
[{"type":"text","content":"Charles (Chip) Blankenship Named as Successor\nFORT COLLINS, Colo., April 21, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Woodward, Inc. (NASDAQ: WWD) announced today that, after more than 31 years with the Company and 17 years as Chief Executive Officer, Thomas (“Tom”) A. Gendron has expressed his intention to retire from the Company. He will retire from his role as Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer and President effective May 9, 2022. “Tom has provided strong, focused leadership through his stewardship of Woodward over more than three decades. The Company has grown considerably and established itself as a trusted partner and market leader in its strategic arenas,” said John Cohn, Woodward’s Lead Director. “On behalf of the Board, we want to thank Tom for his years of dedicated leadership of Woodward and for driving substantial shareholder returns over his tenure. We wish Tom and his wife Traci all the best in this next chapter of their life.” “I have always believed that my greatest responsibility as Chairman and CEO is to manage Woodward for the challenges of today while positioning the Company and its members for long-term growth and success,” said Thomas A. Gendron, Woodward’s current Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “It has been an honor and a privilege to lead this special Company and its talented members. I am confident in the Board’s choice of Chip as my successor, and I look forward to working with him over the coming months to ensure continuity during this transition period.” Woodward’s Board of Directors (the “Board”) also announced today that it has appointed Mr. Charles (“Chip”) Blankenship, Jr. as Chief Executive Officer and President of the Company effective May 9, 2022. Mr. Blankenship has also been appointed to the Board as its new Chairman, effective also on May 9, 2022. At the Board’s request, Mr. Gendron has committed to remain a director, officer and employee of the Company through July 11, 2022 in order to ensure a seamless and effective transition, while allowing the executive management team to maintain its focus on executing the Company’s strategic priorities. “In line with the Board’s longstanding succession planning process, the Board identified Chip as the right choice for the Company’s future. Today’s announcement is the result of what was an ongoing, deliberate and extensive evaluation to choose the...