Why This Matters to Distributors: Genuine Parts Company has named the executives who will lead Motion as an independent industrial distributor, marking another step toward separating its automotive and industrial businesses in early 2027.
Genuine Parts Company has named the leadership team that will run Motion as an independent public company following the planned separation of its automotive and industrial distribution businesses.
Will Stengel, currently chairman and CEO of Genuine Parts, will become chairman and CEO of Motion when the separation is completed. James Howe, a 30-year Motion veteran who has served as its president since 2024, was named president and chief operating officer, effective immediately.
Genuine Parts said the separation remains on track for the first quarter of 2027. After the split, the automotive business will retain the Genuine Parts Company name, while the industrial distribution business will operate as Motion.
Motion also named Howard Yu executive vice president and chief financial officer. Yu most recently served as chief financial officer of Ball Corp. and previously held the same role at Envista Holdings. At Envista, he helped lead the company’s separation from Danaher Corp. and its initial public offering in 2019.
Kevin Stone, currently Motion’s senior vice president of information technology and procurement, will serve as executive vice president and chief information officer. Billy Hamilton, currently senior vice president of people, will become executive vice president and chief human resources officer. Those appointments are effective immediately.
Genuine Parts also named the executives who will lead its automotive business after the separation.
Court Carruthers, a Genuine Parts board member and former CEO of packaging distributor TricorBraun, was named CEO-elect, effective immediately. He will become CEO of Genuine Parts when the separation is completed. Jean-Jacques Lafont will become nonexecutive chairman.
Carruthers previously spent 13 years at W.W. Grainger, where his roles included group president of the Americas. In that position, he oversaw a $9 billion distribution business across North and South America. Genuine Parts said Carruthers has completed more than 100 acquisitions during his career.
Bert Nappier, currently Genuine Parts’ executive vice president and chief financial officer, will become executive vice president, chief financial and operating officer of the automotive company. Its leadership team also will include executives overseeing operations in North America, Europe and Australasia.
Genuine Parts plans to hold separate investor meetings for the two businesses in New York in December. The Genuine Parts meeting is scheduled for Dec. 8, followed by Motion on Dec. 9.
The separation remains subject to final approval by the Genuine Parts board and the effectiveness of a Form 10 registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Genuine Parts operates automotive and industrial replacement parts businesses across 17 countries, with more than 10,800 locations and 65,000 employees.
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