Matthews International Names J. Michael Nauman Chairman to Lead Strategic and Governance Reset

Governance shake-up places experienced chairman at centre of strategic reset

Board Leadership Shift Aims to Drive Strategic Reshaping

Matthews International is repositioning its leadership to accelerate a companywide strategic review and portfolio reshaping, selecting J. Michael Nauman as chairman at its 2026 annual meeting in Pittsburgh on Feb. 19, 2026. The company says Nauman, who joined the board in February 2025, brings more than 35 years of commercial, strategic and financial leadership following his retirement as president and chief executive of Brady Corporation and prior executive roles at Molex, Ohio Associate Enterprises and Arthur Andersen. Matthews’ chief executive Joe Bartolacci praises Nauman’s technical, M&A and leadership capabilities as instrumental to the company’s focus on sustainable growth and long‑term value creation.

The leadership change accompanies a formal adoption of amendments to Matthews’ Articles of Incorporation intended to strengthen corporate governance and align the board more closely with shareholder interests as the company executes its multi‑faceted value‑creation plan. Matthews frames the governance changes and board refreshment as central to supporting operational improvements, portfolio optimisation and potential mergers and acquisitions identified during the strategic review. The board emphasises its role in sustaining oversight of risk, capital allocation and long‑term performance metrics as the company reshapes its businesses.

The move to appoint Nauman as chairman also underscores a generational and skillset shift in oversight as Matthews pursues a sharper strategic direction. The company highlights the combination of Nauman’s transactional and operational experience with the board’s existing expertise—citing director Thomas A. Gebhardt’s advanced battery technologies background—as a means to guide technical evaluation and potential divestitures or investments tied to Matthews’ product lines and service offerings.

Board continuity and director re‑elections

Shareholders re‑elect Thomas A. Gebhardt, Aleta W. Richards, David A. Schawk and Francis S. Wlodarczyk to the board, with the company noting their sustained governance experience and strategic perspectives during the ongoing review. Matthews formally thanks outgoing chairman Alvaro Garcia‑Tunon for service since 2009; Nauman expresses appreciation and wishes him well in retirement.

Unanimous approval and forward reporting

Shareholders unanimously approve the governance amendments, signalling broad support for the board’s refreshment and the company’s strategic path. Matthews says it will continue to report progress to shareholders as it pursues portfolio optimisation, operational improvements and long‑term, sustainable growth.