Ferguson has appointed Alex Hutcherson as chief operating officer. In his new role, Hutcherson is responsible for the national execution of company strategy and has direct responsibility for Ferguson’s sourcing, supply chain, product management, change management, national sales and corporate services teams. He succeeds Kevin Murphy, who was recently named CEO.

Hutcherson joined Ferguson in 1988 as a trainee in Cocoa Beach, Florida. He has held numerous positions within the organization for more than 29 years, including branch manager, general manager and area manager. In 2012, Hutcherson was promoted to vice president of HVAC and took on the senior vice president of HVAC role in 2016.

“I am both honored and humbled to have this opportunity,” Hutcherson said. “I look forward to working with operational teams across the business to provide greater speed of execution and enhanced capabilities and services, ensuring Ferguson remains the best path to market for our suppliers.”

“Alex brings a wealth of experience to the role, having served in numerous leadership positions during his 29-year tenure with Ferguson,” said CEO Kevin Murphy. “I am confident that Ferguson is well-positioned for future growth and success with these changes to our leadership team.”

A native of Lynchburg, Virginia, Hutcherson is a graduate of Old Dominion University.

Additional leadership changes effective Aug. 1

• Mark Westerbeck, current vice president of industrial, will fill a newly created role of vice president of operations. He will have overall operational process responsibility, with a particular focus on omnichannel development and identifying opportunities to create efficiencies across the organization.
• Rob Braig will assume responsibility for profit and loss in addition to strategy for Ferguson’s industrial business group.
• Jimmy Cross will assume nationwide responsibility for Ferguson’s blended branches (locations that serve a mix of residential and commercial customers). This new role will bring consistency across the largest segment of Ferguson’s business. Cross has served as senior vice president of the East for the last decade.
• Carlton Harwood will lead Ferguson’s HVAC Business Group. He will be responsible for developing and driving the company’s strategy as a leading supplier in the HVAC industry. Harwood has been with Ferguson for nearly 30 years, most recently as the HVAC district manager for Florida, Virginia, West Virginia, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware and New Jersey.