Pool Corporation announces retirement of Senior VP Kenny St. Romain and welcomes John Watwood as Executive VP for operations.
Quiver AI Summary
Pool Corporation announced the retirement of Senior Vice President Kenny G. St. Romain in 2026, after over 40 years with the company, and the appointment of John B. Watwood as Executive Vice President. Watwood will oversee swimming pool operations in North America and lead digital and technology initiatives, reporting to President and CEO Peter D. Arvan. St. Romain will assist with the transition before his departure. Arvan praised St. Romain's leadership and impact on company culture, while noting Watwood's extensive experience in distribution and operations from his previous role at Motion Industries. Pool Corporation is the largest wholesale distributor of swimming pool and backyard products, operating around 455 sales centers globally.
Potential Positives
- Kenny G. St. Romain, a long-standing and trusted leader with over 40 years at the company, will assist in the transition, ensuring stability during the leadership change.
- John B. Watwood has been appointed as Executive Vice President, bringing extensive experience in distribution and a proven ability to drive growth and operational excellence.
- Watwood’s leadership is expected to enhance Pool Corporation’s swimming pool operations and oversee critical digital and technology initiatives, positioning the company for future innovation and success.
- The company maintains a strong emphasis on collaboration and culture, as highlighted by leadership comments, which fosters a positive work environment and strengthens relationships with customers and vendors.
Potential Negatives
- The retirement of a long-standing leader, Kenneth St. Romain, could raise concerns about potential instability or changes in company culture during the transition to a new executive, John B. Watwood.
- The announcement of a leadership change might lead to uncertainties among investors regarding the future strategic direction of the company.
- The focus on transition and leadership change may divert attention from the company’s current operations and market performance.
FAQ
What are the recent leadership changes at Pool Corporation?
Pool Corporation has announced the retirement of Senior Vice President Kenny G. St. Romain and the appointment of John B. Watwood as Executive Vice President.
Who is the new Executive Vice President of Pool Corporation?
John B. Watwood has joined Pool Corporation as the new Executive Vice President, overseeing swimming pool operations and technology initiatives.
What will Kenny St. Romain's role be during the transition?
Kenny St. Romain will continue in his role until later this year to assist with the leadership transition.
What experience does John B. Watwood bring to Pool Corporation?
John B. Watwood brings extensive management experience from Motion Industries, including roles in sales and operations across the U.S. and Canada.
How large is Pool Corporation's distribution network?
Pool Corporation operates approximately 455 sales centers globally, distributing over 200,000 products to around 125,000 wholesale customers.
Disclaimer: This is an AI-generated summary of a press release distributed by GlobeNewswire. The model used to summarize this release may make mistakes. See the full release here.
$POOL Insider Trading Activity
$POOL insiders have traded $POOL stock on the open market 3 times in the past 6 months. Of those trades, 0 have been purchases and 3 have been sales.
Here’s a breakdown of recent trading of $POOL stock by insiders over the last 6 months:
- PETER D ARVAN (President/CEO) has made 0 purchases and 3 sales selling 5,000 shares for an estimated $1,227,841.
To track insider transactions, check out Quiver Quantitative's insider trading dashboard.
$POOL Revenue
$POOL had revenues of $1.5B in Q3 2025. This is an increase of 1.27% from the same period in the prior year.
You can track POOL financials on Quiver Quantitative's POOL stock page.
$POOL Hedge Fund Activity
We have seen 271 institutional investors add shares of $POOL stock to their portfolio, and 400 decrease their positions in their most recent quarter.
Here are some of the largest recent moves:
- VANGUARD GROUP INC removed 456,647 shares (-10.4%) from their portfolio in Q3 2025, for an estimated $141,592,535
- WELLINGTON MANAGEMENT GROUP LLP added 357,643 shares (+16.2%) to their portfolio in Q3 2025, for an estimated $110,894,365
- BLACKROCK, INC. removed 292,579 shares (-8.9%) from their portfolio in Q3 2025, for an estimated $90,719,970
- NEUBERGER BERMAN GROUP LLC removed 286,577 shares (-97.3%) from their portfolio in Q3 2025, for an estimated $88,858,930
- PICTET ASSET MANAGEMENT HOLDING SA added 269,689 shares (+99.9%) to their portfolio in Q3 2025, for an estimated $83,622,468
- UBS GROUP AG removed 231,132 shares (-50.4%) from their portfolio in Q3 2025, for an estimated $71,667,099
- MILLENNIUM MANAGEMENT LLC removed 214,496 shares (-71.1%) from their portfolio in Q3 2025, for an estimated $66,508,774
To track hedge funds' stock portfolios, check out Quiver Quantitative's institutional holdings dashboard.
$POOL Analyst Ratings
Wall Street analysts have issued reports on $POOL in the last several months. We have seen 1 firms issue buy ratings on the stock, and 0 firms issue sell ratings.
Here are some recent analyst ratings:
- Oppenheimer issued a "Outperform" rating on 07/29/2025
To track analyst ratings and price targets for $POOL, check out Quiver Quantitative's $POOL forecast page.
$POOL Price Targets
Multiple analysts have issued price targets for $POOL recently. We have seen 5 analysts offer price targets for $POOL in the last 6 months, with a median target of $304.0.
Here are some recent targets:
- David Manthey from Baird set a target price of $320.0 on 01/12/2026
- An analyst from CFRA set a target price of $304.0 on 12/23/2025
- W. Andrew Carter from Stifel set a target price of $240.0 on 12/16/2025
- Sam Reid from Wells Fargo set a target price of $250.0 on 12/15/2025
- Scott Schneeberger from Oppenheimer set a target price of $346.0 on 07/29/2025
Full Release
COVINGTON, La., Jan. 12, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pool Corporation (Nasdaq/GSM: POOL) announced today that Kenneth “Kenny” G. St. Romain, Senior Vice President, will retire from his position in 2026, and that John B. Watwood has joined the company as Executive Vice President. Mr. Watwood, reporting to Peter D. Arvan, President and CEO, will lead Pool Corporation’s swimming pool operations in North America, as well as oversee digital and technology initiatives. Mr. St. Romain will continue in his role until later this year to assist with the transition.
“For more than 40 years, Kenny has been a steady and trusted leader, playing a pivotal role in shaping POOLCORP as the leading distributor in the outdoor living industry. His leadership has been grounded in a deep respect for our team members, valued customers and vendors and in a clear belief that success is built through strong relationships and focused execution. Kenny’s impact is seen not only in the milestones we have achieved but in the culture of collaboration and high performance that defines our teams,” said Peter D. Arvan.
Prior to joining the company, Mr. Watwood held a variety of management positions at Motion Industries, Inc. since 2008, most recently serving as Senior Vice President of Sales and Operations for the United States and Canada.
“John has a deep understanding of frontline operations and a proven ability to lead enterprise-wide initiatives. He brings extensive experience in distribution, with a track record of leading large, complex businesses through sustained growth, innovative change and operational excellence. John’s customer-first mindset and focus on growth, collaboration and culture strongly align with the values that define POOLCORP,” commented Arvan.
Pool Corporation is the world’s largest wholesale distributor of swimming pool and related backyard products. POOLCORP operates approximately 455 sales centers in North America, Europe and Australia through which it distributes more than 200,000 products to roughly 125,000 wholesale customers. For more information about POOLCORP, please visit www.poolcorp.com.
CONTACT:
Kristin S. Byars
Director, Investor Relations and Finance
985.801.5153
[email protected]
