QXO names Ken West as COO to lead building roll-up

On August 24, QXO announced that Ken West will become its president and chief operating officer effective September 1. West will oversee day-to-day operations and report directly to Chairman and CEO Brad Jacobs. The appointment comes shortly after QXO closed its acquisition of TopBuild on July 1, making it North America's second-largest publicly traded building products distributor.

West spent over two decades leading industrial businesses at Honeywell Technologies and PPG Industries. At Honeywell, he led the integration of Johnson Matthey's Catalyst Technologies and folded Sundyne into digital platforms. At PPG, he managed the integration of AkzoNobel's Architectural Coatings unit in North America.

The operational leadership change follows rapid financial expansion. Net sales rose to $3.25 billion in the second quarter of 2026, up from $1.91 billion a year earlier. Kodiak Building Partners, acquired in April, contributed $595 million to that total. Second-quarter adjusted EBITDA rose to $272 million from $204 million, while adjusted net income increased to $130 million from $109 million. Chairman and CEO Brad Jacobs aims to more than double EBITDA by 2030 and reach $50 billion in revenue within the decade.

Net loss for the first six months of 2026 widened to $282 million from $50 million a year earlier. Adjusted diluted earnings per share shifted to a loss of two cents from a profit of 17 cents. Results from the TopBuild acquisition are scheduled to appear in the coming quarter.