# John Watwood

> John Watwood is president and CEO of POOLCORP, the Covington, Louisiana-based swimming pool and outdoor living products distributor. Appointed on May 4, 2026, he previously led sales and operations for Motion Industries in the United States and Canada, after progressing through specialist, branch, regional and network leadership roles.

- **Role:** President and Chief Executive Officer at POOLCORP
- **Organizations:** POOLCORP, Motion Industries, Genuine Parts Company (parent of Motion Industries during his tenure), SMC Corporation of America, Fluid Engineering, Applied Industrial Technologies
- **Education:** BS, Industrial Distribution/Marketing, University of Alabama at Birmingham, MBA, University of North Alabama
- **Known for:** Advanced from fluid power specialist to senior vice president of sales and operations at Motion Industries., Led Motion’s Southeast group and subsequently its operations integration function., Appointed president and CEO of POOLCORP in May 2026.

## Career timeline

- **Date not established; after college** — Entered POOLCORP’s Manager in Training program.
- **Before 2008** — Held roles at Applied Industrial Technologies, Fluid Engineering and SMC.
- **2008** — Joined Motion Industries as a fluid power specialist in Mississippi; subsequently managed branches in Columbus and Nashville.
- **2014** — Became division vice president and general manager of Motion’s Nashville division.
- **2019** — Promoted to lead Motion’s Southeast group, effective May 1.
- **2021** — Promoted to vice president of operations integration at Motion in November, covering fulfillment, branch support and enterprise excellence.
- **Before January 2026** — Served as Motion’s senior vice president of sales and operations for the United States and Canada.
- **2026-01** — Returned to POOLCORP as executive vice president, overseeing North American swimming pool operations and digital and technology initiatives.
- **2026-05-04** — Appointed president and chief executive officer of POOLCORP.

## Achievements

- Advanced from fluid power specialist to senior vice president of sales and operations at Motion Industries.
- Led Motion’s Southeast group and subsequently its operations integration function.
- Appointed president and CEO of POOLCORP in May 2026.

## Latest updates

- **2026-10** — Discussed his return to POOLCORP, leadership approach and customer priorities in an October 1 interview and podcast.
- **2026-07** — Presented second-quarter results: net sales increased 2% to approximately $1.8 billion; reported operating income declined 2%, while adjusted operating income excluding CEO transition costs rose 1%.
- **2026-05** — Became president and CEO on May 4, succeeding Peter Arvan; John Stokely became executive chair.
- **2026-01** — Joined as executive vice president with North American operations and technology responsibilities.

## Links

- Website: https://poolcorp.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-watwood-154b48178

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/john-watwood
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-21