CooperCompanies Ousts CEO Al White; Director Rosebrough Named Interim Executive Chair
COO is trading near its 52-week low of $51.01 (13% above the low).
Summary
CooperCompanies replaced CEO Albert White with independent director Walt Rosebrough as interim Executive Chair, effective immediately, and announced a board refresh that shrinks the board to seven directors. The company reaffirmed fiscal 2026 guidance.
Key Events · Executive and Board Changes · COO
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CEO Out, Interim Chair Installed
Albert G. White III resigned as President, CEO and director on October 27, 2026; independent director Walter M. Rosebrough, Jr. was appointed Executive Chair on an interim basis and assumes direct oversight of day-to-day operations.
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CEO Search Committee Formed
A board committee of Lawrence Kurzius, Cynthia Lucchese and Teresa Madden is running the permanent CEO search with Russell Reynolds; no timeline for a hire was disclosed.
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Board Shrinks to Seven
Shlomo Nachman joins the board effective December 8, 2026, while Barbara Carbone, Colleen Jay and Robert Weiss will not stand for reelection at the 2027 Annual Meeting; the board intends to nominate seven directors.
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Guidance Reaffirmed
The company reaffirmed the fiscal 2026 guidance it provided on September 9, 2026, the same release that cut adjusted EPS guidance to $4.51-$4.55.
Analysis · COO · Industrial Applications And Services
The CEO is out effective immediately, six weeks after Jana Partners demanded an external CEO search and an overhaul, and roughly seven weeks after Q3 revenue missed consensus and full-year EPS guidance was cut. An independent director, Walt Rosebrough — a 25-year medical device CEO who ran STERIS from 2007 to 2021 — takes direct control of day-to-day operations while a search committee looks for a permanent chief executive. Three directors are also leaving at the 2027 annual meeting and the board shrinks to seven, so the oversight body is being rebuilt at the same time as management. Fiscal 2026 guidance was reaffirmed, which caps the near-term financial risk, but the operating leadership of a $11B medical device company is now in interim hands with no announced timeline for a permanent hire.
How filings like this one have moved
In the 30 days to Oct 27, 2026, 36.2% of the 898 measured filings Wiseek scored 8 moved their stock by 5% or more by the next session's close. The median move was -0.75%. These are measured outcomes after filings of this importance, not a forecast for this one.
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At the time of this filing, COO was trading at $57.50 on NASDAQ in the Industrial Applications And Services sector, with a market capitalization of approximately $11.4B. The 52-week trading range was $51.01 to $89.83. This filing was assessed with neutral market sentiment and an importance score of 8 out of 10.