Kevin J. Wheeler
Mr. Wheeler, 60, is President and Chief Executive Officer of A. O. Smith Corporation, one of the worlds leading manufacturers of
residential and commercial water heating equipment and boilers, as well as a manufacturer of water treatment and air purification products. Mr. Wheeler was elected to this position effective September 1, 2018, and before that served as
President and Chief Operating Officer of A. O. Smith from June 2017 to August 2018. From 2013 to May 2017, Mr. Wheeler held the position of Senior Vice President of A. O. Smith and President and General Manager of its North America, India,
Europe Water Heating and Export business, which was then A. O. Smiths largest operating unit. Mr. Wheeler previously served as Managing Director of A. O. Smiths European operations, where he had responsibility for water heater
business in Europe and the Middle East, and upon his return to the United States from the Netherlands, served as Vice President-International, with responsibility for all European and Asian operations, including China. Mr. Wheeler joined A. O.
Smith in 1994, and has served as a director of A. O. Smith since July 2017. Mr. Wheeler has been a director of Graco since February 2020. Among other qualifications, Mr. Wheeler brings to our Board extensive sales, manufacturing and
international experience, and his background as both an executive and a director of a public company provides additional depth to our Boards leadership capabilities.
Directors whose terms continue until 2021:
Jack W.
Eugster
Mr. Eugster, 74, was President and Chief Executive Officer of Musicland Stores Corporation, a retail music and home
video company, from 1980 until his retirement in January 2001. He also served as Chairman of Musicland Stores from 1986 until his retirement. Mr. Eugster has been a director of Graco since February 2004. From 2004 until April 2016, he served as
a director of Black Hills Corporation; from 2009 until June 2015, Mr. Eugster served as a director of Life Time Fitness, Inc.; from 1993 until November 2012, Mr. Eugster served as a director of Donaldson Company, Inc.; and from 2000 until
2007, he was a director of Golf Galaxy, Inc. From 1991 until 2005, Mr. Eugster served as a director of ShopKo Stores, Inc., and was Chairman of the Board from 2001 until 2005. Mr. Eugster also serves, or has served, as a director of
several private companies, including Zone Mechanical Inc., where he has been a director since 2015, and Baker & Taylor, Inc., where he served as a director from 2008 until 2016. Among other qualifications, Mr. Eugster brings to our
Board more than forty years of public company experience, including extensive experience as an executive and as a director. He has extensive knowledge of and expertise in finance and marketing, and is able to devote considerable attention to Company
matters.
R. William Van Sant
Mr. Van Sant, 81, has been a Senior Advisor at Yukon Partners II, LLC, a provider of mezzanine financing for middle-market private equity
transactions, since July 2014, and an Operating Partner at TJM Capital Partners, an operationally-focused private equity firm, since 2015. He also serves as Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors of Builtrite Holdings, LLC, a portfolio company
of TJM Capital, and as a director of RIE Coatings, LLC, a portfolio company of Brass Ring Capital. In addition to actively advising private equity funds and their portfolio companies, Mr. Van Sant may from time to time take ownership interests
in the funds and portfolio companies he advises. From December 2013 until June 2017, he was a Senior Operating Partner at Tenex Capital Management, L.P., a private equity firm, and from September 2012 until December 2013, he served a Senior Advisor.
During this time, he also served as the Chairman or as a director of several portfolio companies of Tenex. From January 2008 until February 2013, he was an Operating Partner of Stone Arch Capital, LLC, a private equity firm. From August 2006 through
December 2007, he was President and Chief Executive Officer of Paladin Brands Holding, Inc., which manufactures attachments for construction equipment. From 2003 until August 2006, Mr. Van Sant was Chairman, and from 2003 until November 2005,
he was Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, of Paladin Brands, LLC. He was an operating partner with Norwest Equity Partners, a private equity firm, from 2001 through 2006. Mr. Van Sant has been a director of Graco since February 2004 and is
also a director of H.B. Fuller Company. Among other qualifications, Mr. Van Sant is an expert in management, finance and manufacturing operations, experience he has acquired over many years as an executive and/or director of various
manufacturing companies, including those listed above as well as Nortrax, Inc., Lukens Inc., Blount, Inc., and Cessna Aircraft Company. He also held roles of increasing responsibility over a nearly thirty year career at John Deere Company.
Mr. Van Sants strong leadership experience and seasoned business valuation skills make him a key contributor to our Board on strategy and growth topics, particularly with respect to mergers and acquisitions. He has been designated by our
Board as an audit committee financial expert.
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Graco Inc. 2020 Proxy Statement