Kennametal Names Amanda Cole Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer; Judith Bacchus to Retire after 20 years at the Company
Rhea-AI Summary
Kennametal (NYSE: KMT) appointed Amanda Cole as Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer, effective July 21, 2026. She joins from Wesco International, where she led HR for Electrical & Electronic Solutions and IT & Digital Functions.
Cole will succeed Judith Bacchus, who plans to retire on or about October 1, 2026, after more than 20 years at Kennametal. The company highlights Cole’s experience in enterprise transformation, culture and talent strategy, and notes a planned transition period to support continuity.
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News Market Reaction – KMT
In the Jun 30 session, KMT gained 0.66%, reflecting a mild positive market reaction.
Data tracked by StockTitan Argus on the day of publication.
Key Figures
Historical Context
| Date | Event | Sentiment | 24h Move | Catalyst |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 29 | Financing & liquidity | Positive | -2.5% | Refinanced notes, added term loan and expanded revolver to enhance liquidity. |
| May 27 | Tender offer results | Neutral | -5.9% | Reported final participation in cash tender offer for 2028 senior notes. |
| May 26 | Tender offer pricing | Neutral | +2.4% | Set pricing terms and consideration for cash tender offer of 2028 notes. |
| May 19 | Debt offering & tender | Neutral | -1.0% | Announced senior notes offering and concurrent tender offer for 2028 notes. |
| May 18 | Conference attendance | Neutral | +0.8% | Disclosed participation at a major industrials and basic materials conference. |
24h Move is the share-price change in the day after each event; other market factors may also have contributed.
Recent financing and balance sheet news has produced mixed reactions, with some positive updates met by share-price weakness.
AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.
Cole brings more than 20 years of experience in leading enterprise-wide transformation, cultural evolution and talent strategy, most recently serving as Vice President of Human Resources, Electrical & Electronic Solutions Business and IT & Digital Functions at Wesco International, Inc. She will succeed Judith Bacchus, who will retire on or about October 1, 2026, after more than 20 years at the company.
"Amanda is an accomplished Human Resources leader in the industrial space who brings a technically grounded, cross-functional perspective and a strong focus on continuous improvement," said Sanjay Chowbey, President and CEO. "I am confident that she will be a key partner to the Board of Directors and Executive Leadership Team while helping us further shape our culture, build capability and drive performance."
Chowbey continued, "I also want to thank Judy for her nearly two decades of leadership at Kennametal. Since joining the company in 2006, she has played a central role in strengthening our organization by building our global talent strategy, advancing our culture and leading critical functions including human resources, communications and environmental, health, safety and quality. We wish her all the best in retirement and appreciate her partnership in ensuring a seamless transition with Amanda over the coming months."
About Amanda Cole
As Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer, Cole will be accountable for all human resources globally. In addition, she will oversee the company's internal and external corporate communications function and environmental, health, safety and quality (EHSQ) activities.
Most recently, Cole was Vice President of Human Resources Electrical & Electronic Solutions Business and IT & Digital Functions at Wesco International, Inc. where she led the HR strategy for a multibillion-dollar global business unit and enterprise IT/Digital functions, supporting 6,500 employees globally.
Prior to that, she served in various human resources leadership roles at Wesco International, Inc. and has experience in Lean and process improvement, as well as leading training and development. She started her career at Newell Rubbermaid as a Project Manager and Manufacturing Engineer.
Cole has a Bachelor of Science degree in industrial engineering from Penn State University and Master of Business Administration from University of
About Kennametal
With over 85 years as an industrial technology leader, Kennametal Inc. delivers productivity to customers through materials science, tooling and wear-resistant solutions. Customers across aerospace and defense, earthworks, energy, general engineering and transportation turn to Kennametal to help them manufacture with precision and efficiency. Every day approximately 8,100 employees are helping customers in nearly 100 countries stay competitive. Kennametal generated
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SOURCE Kennametal Inc.