Valvoline has announced the appointment of Kevin Willis as its new Chief Financial Officer, effective May 19, succeeding Mary Meixelsperger. Willis brings extensive experience from public companies, with expertise in capital markets, financial systems integration, and operational efficiency.
“We’re pleased to welcome Kevin Willis as our new CFO,” said Lori Flees, Valvoline President and CEO. “As a seasoned public-company CFO with prior financial oversight of Valvoline during its time as part of Ashland Global Holdings, Kevin has a deep understanding of our business. His expertise in transformation will be instrumental in advancing our strategic priorities.”
Flees also expressed gratitude to outgoing CFO Mary Meixelsperger for her service since Valvoline’s IPO in 2016, acknowledging her significant contributions to the company’s development. Meixelsperger will remain with Valvoline during a transition period.
Kevin Willis brings decades of financial leadership experience from his tenure at Ashland, where he has served as Chief Financial Officer since 2013. Prior to that, he held several key finance roles, including Vice President of Finance for Ashland Specialty Ingredients and Corporate Treasurer. Throughout his career, Willis played a pivotal role in Ashland’s strategic transformation from a major independent oil refiner to a focused specialty ingredients company. Notably, he also led the separation of Valvoline Inc. during its initial public offering in 2016.
“Valvoline Inc. is a market leader with tremendous growth potential,” said Willis. “I’ve closely followed the company’s progress since helping lead its spin-off from Ashland in 2016, and I believe its best days are ahead. I’m excited to join the team and contribute to its continued success.”
Willis holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting from Eastern Kentucky University and an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.
