Stanley Carleton Gault (January 6, 1926 – June 29, 2016) was an American businessman.

Early life and education

He was born on January 6, 1926, in

Wooster, Ohio Wooster ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Wayne County. Located in northeastern Ohio, the city lies approximately south-southwest of Cleveland, southwest of Akron and west of Canton. The population was 27,232 at t ...

, to Clyde and Asenath Gault. He graduated from the

College of Wooster The College of Wooster is a private liberal arts college in Wooster, Ohio. Founded in 1866 by the Presbyterian Church as the University of Wooster, it has been officially non-sectarian since 1969 when ownership ties with the Presbyterian Church ...

in 1948 with a bachelor's degree in geology, and remained as Chairman Emeritus of the Board. While studying at the College of Wooster, he served in the Army Air Corps as a B-29 gunner during World War II.

Career

Gault spent 31 years with

General Electric General Electric Company (GE) is an American multinational conglomerate founded in 1892, and incorporated in New York state and headquartered in Boston. The company operated in sectors including healthcare, aviation, power, renewable energ ...

in various positions, including being head of G.E.'s consumer products division and later its industrial products division. In 1979, he was named Chairman of the Board and

CEO A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a central executive officer (CEO), chief administrator officer (CAO) or just chief executive (CE), is one of a number of corporate executives charged with the management of an organization especially ...

Rubbermaid Rubbermaid is an American manufacturer and distributor of household items. It is a subsidiary of Newell Brands. It is best known for producing food storage containers and trash cans. Additionally, it produces sheds, footstool, step stools, closet ...

. After taking over at Rubbermaid, Gault removed all but two managers at the company and reorganized it. He led the company through a series of divestitures and strategic investments that increased the company's profitability. While he stripped weak product lines and slashed excess cost, he invested in new product development. Later Rubbermaid CEOs, including Wolfgang Schmitt, were seen as less than adequate compared to Gault and the company's profits dropped. Rubbermaid ended up being bought in 1999 by a competitor, Newell. Starting in 1985, Gault was appointed as a director at Avon Products, Inc. He became

and

Chairman The chairperson, also chairman, chairwoman or chair, is the presiding officer of an organized group such as a board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office, who is typically elected or appointed by members of the grou ...

of The

Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company is an American multinational tire manufacturing company founded in 1898 by Frank Seiberling and based in Akron, Ohio. Goodyear manufactures tires for automobiles, commercial trucks, light trucks, motorcycles, S ...

after retiring from Rubbermaid in 1991. In 1994, he was inducted into Junior Achievement's U.S. Business Hall of Fame. In 1995, Gault received the Golden Plate Award of the

American Academy of Achievement The American Academy of Achievement, colloquially known as the Academy of Achievement, is a non-profit educational organization that recognizes some of the highest achieving individuals in diverse fields and gives them the opportunity to meet o ...

. In 2001, Gault stepped down as director at Avon. Gault died on June 29, 2016, in Cleveland, Ohio, after a brief illness. Gault often donated to the city of Wooster and his alma mater.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gault, Stanley 1926 births 2016 deaths People from Wooster, Ohio Gault, Stanley Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company people American chief executives of manufacturing companies