Stanley Gault | |
---|---|
Born | Stanley Carleton Gault January 6, 1926
Wooster, Ohio, U.S. |
Died | June 29, 2016
Cleveland, Ohio, U.S. | (aged 90)
Nationality | American |
Alma mater | The College of Wooster |
Occupation(s) | CEO and Chairman of Goodyear and Rubbermaid |
Spouse |
Flo Kurtz
(
m. 1950; died 2013) |
Children | 3 |
Stanley Carleton Gault (January 6, 1926 – June 29, 2016) was an American businessman.
He was born on January 6, 1926, in Wooster, Ohio, to Clyde and Asenath Gault. [1] He graduated from the College of Wooster in 1948 with a bachelor's degree in geology, and remained as Chairman Emeritus of the Board. [1] [2] While studying at the College of Wooster, he served in the Army Air Corps as a B-29 gunner during World War II. [1]
Gault spent 31 years with General Electric in various positions, including being head of G.E.'s consumer products division and later its industrial products division. [1] [2] In 1979, he was named Chairman of the Board and CEO of Rubbermaid. [2] [3] After taking over at Rubbermaid, Gault removed all but two managers at the company and reorganized it. [1] He led the company through a series of divestitures and strategic investments that increased the company's profitability. [4] While he stripped weak product lines and slashed excess cost, he invested in new product development. [4] [5] Later Rubbermaid CEOs, including Wolfgang Schmitt, were seen as less than adequate compared to Gault and the company's profits dropped. [5] Rubbermaid ended up being bought in 1999 by a competitor, Newell. [5]
Starting in 1985, Gault was appointed as a director at Avon Products, Inc. [6] He became CEO and Chairman of The Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company after retiring from Rubbermaid in 1991. [2]
In 1994, he was inducted into Junior Achievement's U.S. Business Hall of Fame. [7] In 1995, Gault received the Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement. [8]
In 2001, Gault stepped down as director at Avon. [3]
Gault died on June 29, 2016, in Cleveland, Ohio, after a brief illness. [9] Gault often donated to the city of Wooster and his alma mater. [1]