John Paxton named new CEO of MHI

The Board of Governors of MHI announced the appointment of John Paxton to the position of Chief Executive Officer of MHI. Paxton succeeded George W. Prest at his retirement as CEO on December 31, 2020.

Paxton was named MHI COO/CEO Designate in August of 2018 and brings over 30 years of experience to MHI including over 20 years of executive leadership at Demag Cranes and Components. He holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering from The Ohio State University and an MBA in International Business from Kent State University.

Prior to joining the MHI Team, Paxton has been recognized for his volunteer leadership at MHI including serving as President of the Crane Manufacturers Association (CMAA), President of the Hoist Manufacturers Institute (HMI) and as the Chairman of the Board of MHI.

“John’s leadership skills and experience are the perfect match for MHI to continue fulfillment of its mission to deliver member value every day and support the vision to be the authoritative resource for the material handling industry. I am confident that John and the team will take the vision and mission of MHI to the next level,” said George Prest.”

MHI Industry Chairman Brett Wood added, “John has earned the trust and confidence of the Board, his peers and the MHI Team. His dedication, commitment and business acumen resulted in his emergence as the best person to lead MHI. His leadership ability and knowledge of the material handling industry will elevate MHI’s role in the broader supply chain conversation.”

“It is an honor to be selected to lead MHI forward and build upon the strong foundation that George Prest and the MHI team have built. We look forward to continuing to fulfill MHI’s powerful mission of delivering member value every day,” said Paxton. “Our focus is to provide exceptional knowledge resources, connections, market access and industry leadership and to expand access to MHI’s important content and resources. The members of MHI fill critical roles by providing solutions and best practices to the overall supply chain, and MHI provides the collaborative community to collectively elevate our industry.”