Jeffery Watts, the executive set to become chief executive officer of Fastenal Co. in July 2026, is a 30-year company veteran whose career has been built entirely inside the industrial distributor’s sales and field organization.
Watts currently serves as Fastenal’s president and chief sales officer, a role he has held since August 2024. In that position, he is responsible for setting sales priorities, establishing growth goals, and providing oversight of the company’s global sales activities across its decentralized branch and onsite network.
Before being named president, Watts served as chief sales officer from May 2023 to July 2024. His earlier roles reflect a steady progression through Fastenal’s international and regional leadership ranks. From December 2016 to April 2023, he was executive vice president of international sales, following a stint as vice president of international sales from March 2015 to December 2016. From June 2005 to February 2015, he served as regional vice president of Fastenal’s Canadian operations.
Watts joined Fastenal in 1996 and has spent his entire career at the company, rising through sales leadership roles and earning long-tenured “Blue Team” status — a background that closely aligns with Fastenal’s branch-driven operating model and emphasis on internal promotion.
In 2024, Fastenal paid Watts $1.07 million in total compensation, including a base salary of $516,090, according to the company’s most recent proxy filing.
Watts was named CEO-designate as part of a planned succession announced in December. He will succeed Daniel Florness, who will remain CEO through July 16, 2026, before stepping into a strategic advisor role through early 2028 to support the transition. Subject to shareholder approval, Fastenal’s board also intends to appoint Watts as a director at the time of the leadership change.
Watts’ compensation as CEO will be determined by the board’s compensation committee in 2026.
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