New CEO tapped at Worthington
The Worthington Enterprises named Joseph Hayek as the company’s next president and chief executive officer, effective Nov. 1, 2024. Hayek, who currently executive vice president, chief financial and operations officer, will replace Andy Rose who is retiring.
Hayek, 52, served in his EVP role since December 2023 when Worthington Industries successfully completed the strategic initiative known as “Worthington 2024,” which resulted in the separation of the steel processing business creating two standalone, public companies.
Worthington Enterprises’ brand portfolio include Bernzomatic, Coleman (propane cylinders), CoMet, Garden-Weasel, General, HALO, Pactool International and XLite, among others
He previously served as Worthington Industries vice president and chief financial officer from November 2018 to November 2023 where he played an integral role in Worthington 2024 helping position both companies to capitalize on differentiated growth and value creation strategies. Hayek was vice president and general manager of the company’s oil and gas equipment business unit from March 2017 to November 2018, and vice president of mergers & acquisitions and corporate development from April 2014 to March 2017. Prior to joining Worthington, Hayek served as president of Sarcom, Inc., an IT solutions provider and the largest division of PCM, Inc.
“Joe is a proven leader with a deep understanding of the business, Worthington’s culture and a demonstrated ability to capitalize on the opportunities ahead,” said Worthington Enterprises Board of Directors Chairman John Blystone. “We expect a seamless and effective transition as Joe has earned the respect of the Board, our employees and the investment community, and we look forward to continuing to support him and his leadership team as they drive long-term shareholder value.”
Blystone continued, “On behalf of the Board, I would like to thank Andy for his contributions to Worthington over his 16 years with the company and four years as CEO. I would particularly like to recognize the role he played successfully leading the team that separated Worthington Industries into two independent public companies, unlocking over $1 billion in shareholder value, as well as managing the business to record profits through the COVID era.”
Joe Hayek said, “I am humbled and honored to have the opportunity to lead Worthington Enterprises as CEO. After 10 years at Worthington, I have a deep appreciation for and belief in the power of our people-first Philosophy of treating our customers, employees, investors and suppliers as we would like to be treated. As a market-leading consumer and building products company, Worthington Enterprises is well-positioned for growth, and together with our talented people, I am committed to leveraging our performance-based culture and the Worthington Business System of transformation, innovation and M&A to deliver solid returns for our shareholders.”
Colin Souza, 36, will become vice president and chief financial officer of Worthington Enterprises effective Nov. 1, 2024. He is currently vice president of finance for the company overseeing financial planning and analysis, corporate development, M&A and corporate strategy and innovation. In 2023, Souza led the project management office for Worthington 2024. Souza joined the Company in 2011 and has held numerous finance and strategy roles throughout his tenure.
