Hal Lawton | |
|---|---|
 Lawton in 2020 | |
| Born | 4 July 1974 Kingsport, Tennessee, United States |
| Alma mater | North Carolina State University (BS) University of Virginia (MBA) |
| Known for | CEO at Tractor Supply Company, former president of Macy's |
| Children | 3 |
Harry A. Lawton III (born July 4, 1974) is an American businessman. He is president and chief executive officer of the retailer Tractor Supply Company. He is also a member of the company's board. He was formerly president of Macy's. [1] [2] [3] [4]
Lawton was born in Kingsport, Tennessee in 1974. He attended Sullivan South High School. His father worked at Eastman Chemical Company. As a child, Lawton played basketball at the Boys and Girls Club, delivered papers for the Kingsport Times-News, and attended St. Paul’s Episcopal Church. [5]
Lawton holds an undergraduate degree in chemical engineering and another in pulp and paper science technology from North Carolina State University, where he was a Caldwell Fellow. [6] [7] [8] He holds a master of business administration from University of Virginia Darden School of Business, where he was given the William Michael Shermet Award. [9] [10] [11] [12]
Lawton started his career in a paper mill in rural North Carolina. In 2000, he joined McKinsey & Co. and was an associate principal until 2005. From 2005 to 2015, Lawton held different positions at The Home Depot, including President Online and SVP Merchandising. [13] [14] [15] [16] From August 2015 to September 2017, Lawton was the SVP of eBay North America. From September 2017 to December 2019, he served as the president for Macy's. [17] [18] [19] [20]
In January 2020, Lawton returned to Tennessee and began work as the chief executive officer and president of Tractor Supply Company. He is a member of the company's board of directors. During Lawton’s first year as CEO, more people began gardening and owning pets and livestock due to the COVID-19 Pandemic and Tractor Supply Company saw revenue growth of 27 percent. [21] In 2022, Tractor Supply reached #294 on the Fortune 500 list. In February 2023, Tractor Supply extended the terms of Lawton’s contract for another three years, to 2026, with an evergreen extension going forward. [22]
Lawton serves on the board of directors of Sealed Air Corporation located in Charlotte, North Carolina and previously served on the board of Buffalo Wild Wings. [23] [24] [25] [26] [27]
As of 2022, was a member National Retail Federation board of directors. He was a member of the Great American Economic Revival Industry Groups. [28]
Lawton is a member of the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce, chairing its Talent Solutions Council. [29] He is also a member of The Business Council. [30]
Lawton lives with his wife, Jodie, in Nashville, Tennessee. They have three children. [5]
Lawton was named to the list of "Most Admired CEOs" for 2023 by the Nashville Business Journal. [31]