# Jeffrey Powell

> Jeffrey L. Powell is the chief executive officer and a director of Kadant Inc., a Massachusetts-based global supplier of industrial technologies. He joined Kadant in 2008 to oversee acquisition activities and became CEO in July 2019. Under a succession plan announced in September 2026, he is scheduled to become executive chairman on January 2, 2027, when Michael Colwell becomes CEO.

- **Role:** Chief Executive Officer and Director at Kadant Inc.
- **Organizations:** Kadant Inc., Castion Corporation, Thermo Electron Corporation
- **Education:** Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, University of Toledo, Master’s degree in Business Administration and Management, Florida Institute of Technology
- **Known for:** Appointed Kadant CEO after holding acquisition and operating leadership roles., Led Kadant during its first billion-dollar annual revenue year in 2024., Kadant reported record quarterly revenue of $312.9 million for Q2 2026 during his CEO tenure.

## Career timeline

- **2003-04** — Became chairman and CEO of Castion Corporation; served through December 2007.
- **2008-01** — Joined Kadant as vice president, new ventures, responsible principally for acquisition activities.
- **2009-09** — Became senior vice president of Kadant.
- **2013-03** — Became executive vice president, supervising stock preparation, wood processing and fiber-based products.
- **2018-03** — Became executive vice president and co-chief operating officer.
- **2019-04** — Became president of Kadant.
- **2019-07** — Became CEO and a director.
- **2026-09** — Kadant announced planned succession by Michael Colwell.
- **2026-10** — Colwell became president and COO; Powell remained CEO and a director.
- **2027-01** — Scheduled to become executive chairman on January 2, 2027.

## Achievements

- Appointed Kadant CEO after holding acquisition and operating leadership roles.
- Led Kadant during its first billion-dollar annual revenue year in 2024.
- Kadant reported record quarterly revenue of $312.9 million for Q2 2026 during his CEO tenure.

## Latest updates

- **2026-10** — Remains CEO and a director after Michael Colwell became president and COO on October 1.
- **2026-09** — Kadant announced that Colwell will become CEO on January 2, 2027, with Powell becoming executive chairman.
- **2026-08** — Kadant reported Q2 revenue of $312.9 million and net income of approximately $32 million.
- **2026-01** — Kadant announced an agreement to acquire long-standing supplier voestalpine BÖHLER Profil.

## Links

- Website: https://investor.kadant.com/corporate-governance/management
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffrey-l-powell

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/jeffrey-powell
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-23