PHOENIX, Sept. 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Leslie’s, Inc. (NASDAQ: LESL), the largest and most trusted direct-to-customer brand in the U.S. pool and spa care industry serving residential customers and pool professionals nationwide, today announced the board of directors has appointed Jeff White as chief financial officer and treasurer effective October 5, 2025. Mr. White succeeds Tony Iskander, who notified the company on August 15, 2025 of his resignation from his position as interim chief financial officer and treasurer effective October 4, 2025, due to personal reasons.

“We are thrilled to welcome Jeff to the Leslie’s leadership team,” said Jason McDonell, Leslie’s chief executive officer. “His breadth of experience in financial strategy, capital markets and delivering enhanced operational efficiency makes him the ideal leader to guide our finance organization forward. I am confident his proven ability to build high-performing finance organizations and leading investor engagement will support Leslie’s continued focus on disciplined execution, operational performance and transparent communication with all shareholders. Jeff’s expertise will help provide stability and financial discipline as we deliver against our strategic initiatives while remaining focused on long-term value creation for shareholders.”

Mr. White brings a proven track record of financial and operational leadership, including significant experience overseeing accounting, FP&A, compliance, investor relations, legal, real estate and treasury. Most recently, Mr. White served as chief financial officer for Sportsman’s Warehouse (NASDAQ: SPWH) where he led critical initiatives including rebuilding the FP&A and investor relations functions, leading the company's Investor Day activities, driving two successful credit facility renegotiations and funding a FILO term loan to augment the company’s liquidity. Mr. White also brings a strong background in SEC reporting, SOX compliance, M&A due diligence and operational process improvements. Prior to his tenure at Sportsman’s Warehouse, Mr. White was an audit manager at KPMG LLP where he spent six years in roles of increasing responsibility.

“We want to thank Tony for his many contributions to Leslie’s and our transformation initiatives,” said Mr. McDonell. “Tony is a trusted thought partner and has helped deliver meaningful progress across the organization while strengthening our finance and accounting capabilities. The board remains committed to strong governance and oversight through this transition, with a clear focus on accountability and transparency.”

To ensure a smooth transition and support the company’s ongoing strategic initiatives, Mr. Iskander will remain employed with the company in an advisory role through January 3, 2026.

About Leslie’s

Founded in 1963, Leslie’s is the largest and most trusted direct-to-customer brand in the U.S. pool and spa care industry serving residential customers and pool professionals nationwide. The company serves the aftermarket needs of residential and professional consumers with an extensive and largely exclusive assortment of essential pool and spa care products. The company operates an integrated ecosystem of over 1,000 physical locations and a robust digital platform, enabling consumers to engage with Leslie’s whenever, wherever, and however they prefer to shop. Its dedicated team of associates, pool and spa care experts, and experienced service technicians are passionate about empowering Leslie’s consumers with the knowledge, products, and solutions necessary to confidently maintain and enjoy their pools and spas.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements about us and our industry that involve substantial risks and uncertainties. All statements other than statements of historical fact contained in this press release, including statements regarding our future results of operations or financial condition, business strategy, value proposition, dispositions, legal proceedings, competitive advantages, market size, growth opportunities, industry expectations, and plans and objectives of management for future operations, are forward-looking statements. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements because they contain words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “contemplate,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “should,” “target,” “will,” or “would,” or the negative of these words or other similar terms or expressions. Our actual results or outcomes could differ materially from those indicated in these forward-looking statements for a variety of reasons, including, among others:

  • our ability to execute on our growth strategies;
  • our expectations regarding our cash resources and cash generation from normal operations;
  • supply disruptions or increased costs, including as a result of trade policies;
  • our ability to maintain favorable relationships with suppliers and manufacturers;
  • competition from mass merchants and specialty retailers;
  • impacts on our business from the sensitivity of our business to weather conditions, changes in the economy (including high interest rates, recession fears, inflationary pressures and changes in trade policies, including tariffs or other trade restrictions or the threat of such actions), geopolitical events or conflicts, and the housing market;
  • disruptions in the operations of our distribution centers;
  • our ability to implement technology initiatives that deliver the anticipated benefits, without disrupting our operations;
  • our ability to execute on our management transition plans and to attract and retain senior management and other qualified personnel;
  • regulatory changes and developments affecting our current and future products including evolving legal standards, regulations and stakeholder expectations concerning environmental, social and governance (“ESG”) matters;
  • our ability to obtain additional capital to finance operations;
  • commodity price inflation and deflation;
  • impacts on our business from epidemics, pandemics, or natural disasters;
  • impacts on our business from cyber incidents and other security threats or disruptions;
  • our ability to regain and maintain compliance with Nasdaq listing standards;
  • our ability to implement the proposed reverse stock split in a timely manner, if at all, and the anticipated effects of the proposed reverse stock split on the price of shares of our common stock;
  • our ability to remediate material weaknesses or other deficiencies in our internal control over financial reporting or to maintain effective disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting; and
  • other risks and uncertainties, including those listed in the section titled “Risk Factors” in our filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”).

You should not rely on forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. We have based the forward-looking statements contained in this press release primarily on our current expectations and projections about future events and trends that we believe may affect our business, financial condition, and operating results. The outcome of the events described in these forward-looking statements is subject to risks, uncertainties, and other factors described in Part I, Item 1A, “Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 28, 2024, in Part II, Item 1A, “Risk Factors” of our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 29, 2025 and in our other filings with the SEC. Moreover, we operate in a very competitive and rapidly changing environment. New risks and uncertainties emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for us to predict all risks and uncertainties that could have an impact on the forward-looking statements contained in this press release. The results, outcomes, events, and circumstances reflected in the forward-looking statements may not be achieved or occur, and actual results or outcomes could differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements.

In addition, statements that “we believe” and similar statements reflect our beliefs and opinions on the relevant subject. These statements are based on information available to us as of the date of this press release, and, while we believe that information provides a reasonable basis for these statements, that information may be limited or incomplete. Our statements should not be read to indicate that we have conducted an exhaustive inquiry into, or review of, all relevant information. These statements are inherently uncertain, and investors are cautioned not to unduly rely on these statements.

The forward-looking statements made in this press release are based on events or circumstances as of the date on which the statements are made. We undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statements made in this press release to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this press release or to reflect new information, changed expectations, the occurrence of unanticipated events or otherwise, except as required by law. We may not actually achieve the plans, intentions, outcomes, or expectations disclosed in our forward-looking statements, and you should not place undue reliance on our forward-looking statements. Our forward-looking statements do not reflect the potential impact of any future acquisitions, mergers, dispositions, joint ventures, or investments.