ESAB Corporation said it has appointed R. Brent Jones as chief financial officer, effective in early May 2026, replacing Kevin Johnson, who is leaving for a CFO role at a privately held company. Johnson will remain through the transition.
Jones arrives from Avantor, where he most recently served as CFO, and previously held finance leadership roles at Pall Corporation, LifeScan and Klöckner Pentaplast Group. ESAB said he brings more than three decades of experience.
Alongside the leadership change, ESAB reaffirmed its 2026 outlook. The company said it remains confident it can hit the low end of its core organic sales growth guidance and sees multiple paths to the high end. It also reaffirmed its previously issued 2026 total core sales, adjusted EBITDA and adjusted EPS guidance ranges, first announced on Feb. 2, 2026.
The company did not change its 2026 guidance ranges, but the latest update added that recent geopolitical events have not altered its view that it can reach the low end of the organic sales growth target.
ESAB said Johnson has been CFO for the past seven years and credited him with helping the company make progress over that period. As a result of these announcements, the company's shares have moved -5.24% on the market, and are now trading at a price of $92.45. For more information, read the company's full 8-K submission here.
