Why This Matters to Distributors: QXO is adding an executive with experience in integrating large industrial acquisitions as it expands its building products distribution business. Ken West will oversee day-to-day operations, including efforts to connect QXO’s technology investments with pricing, procurement, sales, and customer operations.
QXO Inc. has named Honeywell executive Ken West president and chief operating officer as the building products distributor works to integrate acquisitions and expand its operations.
West will join QXO effective Sept. 1 and report to Chairman and CEO Brad Jacobs, the Greenwich, Connecticut-based company said Aug. 24. He will oversee QXO’s day-to-day operations.
West most recently served as president and CEO of Honeywell Process Technology. He joined Honeywell in 2018 and held leadership positions across several of its industrial businesses during a period in which the company began separating into three publicly traded companies.
His experience includes integrating large acquisitions, an area that will be important as QXO combines businesses acquired through its expansion in building products distribution.
At Honeywell, West led the company’s 2025 acquisition of Sundyne and its integration with Honeywell’s automation and digital operations. More recently, he led the acquisition of Johnson Matthey’s Catalyst Technologies business and the subsequent integration process.
“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.”
QXO said West’s integration experience will support its efforts to combine acquired businesses with the technology systems it is developing across the company. The distributor has identified pricing, procurement, and sales as areas where it expects integration and technology to improve operating performance and customer experience.
The appointment comes as QXO manages a larger building products distribution business following a series of acquisitions.
QXO acquired Beacon Roofing Supply in 2025, establishing a large national roofing and building products distribution network. The company has since continued its expansion through transactions involving Kodiak Building Partners and TopBuild.
Those deals have increased the importance of integrating purchasing, pricing, sales, technology, logistics and other operations across businesses that previously operated independently.
West has more than 20 years of experience in operations, strategy, finance, and integration.
During his six years at Honeywell, he rose to lead three major business segments. Before heading Honeywell Process Technology, West served as president and CEO of Energy and Sustainability Solutions, president and CEO of Honeywell UOP, and president of Honeywell Advanced Materials.
In his most recent role, he also helped oversee changes to Honeywell’s process technology operations, including the separation of the business now known as Solstice Advanced Materials.
Before joining Honeywell, West spent 13 years at PPG Industries. He served as global vice president of packaging coatings and held positions in operations, integration, corporate planning, and finance.
West also led the integration of AkzoNobel’s North American architectural coatings business following PPG’s acquisition of the operations.
“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.”
QXO is North America’s largest distributor and installer of insulation and the second-largest distributor of roofing products. The company also describes itself as the second largest publicly traded distributor of lumber and building materials and the largest distributor of waterproofing products.
QXO has set a goal of reaching $50 billion in annual revenue within the decade through acquisitions and growth from its existing businesses.
West holds 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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