Parkes gets top job at Finning

Scott Thomson, President and CEO of Caterpillar dealer Finning International, is to retire from the company on 15 November and will be succeeded by Kevin Parkes, currently the COO.

Kevin Parkes, COO, will succeed Thomson as President and CEO and will join the Board on 16 November.

Parkes is a 25 year Finning veteran who worked for many years at the company’s UK subsidiary, including almost five years as CEO of rental company Hewden when it was owned by Finning, between 2010 and 2015.

He became COO of Finning International in April 2022 after serving as President of Finning Canada since 2019. His previous posts have included Managing Director of Finning UK and Ireland and, before that, Director of the Equipment Solutions Division for the UK and Ireland.

Hal Kvisle, Board Chair at Finning said Parkes had demonstrated “vision and leadership” since joining Finning 25 years ago.

“His strategic thinking, customer-centric mindset, focus on operational excellence, and leadership skills will serve Finning well in the years ahead. The Board is confident in our unanimous choice of Kevin as Scott’s successor, and we look forward to Finning’s continued momentum under his leadership.”

Scott Thomson, President and CEO of Finning International, will retire on 15 November.

Kvisle paid tribute to Thomson; “Over the last nine years, Scott has navigated Finning through periods of significant end-market change, including the Covid-19 pandemic, and has led Finning to become a stronger and more resilient company.

“Scott has succeeded in transforming Finning into both a leading Cat dealer and a modern industrial services company. Scott’s thoughtful approach to capital allocation and investment in strategic capabilities has significantly improved Finning’s long-term earnings capacity and positioned the Company for a bright future.”