People on the Move

QXO Names Ken West President, COO

Former Honeywell executive will oversee day-to-day operations as QXO continues expanding its building products platform

By Tanja Kern, Senior Strategic Content Editor

QXO has named longtime industrial executive Ken West president and CEO, putting a veteran of Honeywell and PPG Industries in charge of day-to-day operations as the building products giant continues scaling its roofing and distribution platform. He will report to CEO Brad Jacobs effective Sept. 1, 2026.

West joined Honeywell in 2018 and rose to lead three major business segments within six years. Prior to leading Honeywell Process Technology, he served as president and CEO of the company’s Energy and Sustainability Solutions segment, president and CEO of Honeywell UOP, and President of Honeywell Advanced Materials. In his most recent role, West helped shape Process Technology into a more growth-oriented business, including the spin-off of the independent company now known as Solstice Advanced Materials. He also led the acquisition of Sundyne and oversaw its integration with Honeywell’s automation and digital platforms.

“Ken is an exceptional operator with the executional rigor to lead QXO’s operations," Jacobs said. "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.”

“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.”

Before Honeywell, West spent 13 years at PPG Industries, where he served as global vice president of Packaging Coatings and held leadership roles in operations, integration, corporate planning, and finance. During his tenure, West led the integration of AkzoNobel Architectural Coatings North America, establishing PPG as the world’s largest coatings company.

West earned an MBA from Carnegie Mellon University’s Tepper School of Business and a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Purdue University.

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Tanja Kern covers economic trends and the intersection of architecture, design, and construction for Roofing Contractor, with an emphasis on the forces reshaping the industry. She develops and amplifies content that connects roofing professionals with the intelligence they need to compete and grow.

With more than 20 years of experience, Tanja has written for national business, consumer and trade publications. She holds a Master of Science in magazine publishing from Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism.