Ace Hardware Corporation, the world’s largest hardware cooperative, announced changes to the company’s Board of Directors following its 2026 Annual Meeting of Stockholders.
Following the annual meeting on May 12, Ace Hardware stockholders elected new non-member director Brandi Joplin to her first term on the company’s Board of Directors.
“I am pleased to welcome Brandi Joplin to the Ace Hardware Board of Directors," said Steven Burggraf, Chairman of the Board, Ace Hardware Corporation. “Brandi brings a strong track record of leadership, innovation, and strategic insight that will further strengthen our Board and support Ace’s continued growth. We look forward to the valuable perspective and experience she will contribute as we continue building on Ace’s legacy of service and success.”
Joplin is a distinguished Fortune 1 financial executive, most recently serving as Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer of Sam’s Club, the $90 billion subsidiary of Walmart, Inc. Prior to her tenure as CFO, she held various leadership roles at Walmart, including Senior Vice President, Chief Audit Executive, where she worked closely with the Walmart Board Audit Committee, Vice President and International Controller, and Vice President, Global Internal Audit Services, U.S. & Canada. Earlier roles included serving as Chief Audit Executive at the telecom company Alltel, and as a senior auditor at the accounting firm Arthur Andersen, LLP. Joplin currently serves as the Executive in Residence, Department of Accounting, at the Sam M. Walton College of Business, University of Arkansas. She also currently serves on the Board of Directors and Audit Committee of each of America’s Car‑Mart, Inc. and Southern Bancorp, a community development financial institution. She was appointed Chair of the Audit Committee of America’s Car‑Mart, Inc. effective March 1, 2026. In addition, she serves on the Arkansas Children’s Hospital Foundation Board and the Finance Committee of Hope Cancer Resources. Joplin is a Certified Public Accountant and a Certified Internal Auditor. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Accounting, from the University of Arkansas. She is Chair of the Company’s Audit and Finance Committee and a member of the Retail Stores and Services Committee.
In addition to the election of a new non-member director, Ace Hardware stockholders re-elected member directors David Cripe and Matt Mazzone and non-member director Eric Lauterbach to the Ace Hardware Board of Directors.
Cripe joined the Board in 2023. He is Chair of the Retail Supply Chain Committee and a member of the Compensation and Human Resources Committee and Nominating and Governance Committee. Cripe is Vice President of Whitmore Investments, Inc., a 15-store Ace Hardware chain located in Wilmington, Illinois, and the surrounding communities. Whitmore Hardware was established in 1896 in Wilmington, Illinois, affiliated with Ace in 1975, and is now a fifth-generation, family-owned and operated group of Ace Hardware stores. He is also a member of Ace's Multi-Store Strategy Advisory Team. Cripe is a former board member and president of the Windy City Ace Stores (WCAS) Board, where he was a founding member. Cripe earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Management from Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois.
Mazzone joined the Board in 2020. He is a member of the Audit and Finance Committee and the Retail Stores and Services Committee. He also currently serves on the Board of Directors of Ace International Hardware Corporation, a subsidiary of Ace. Mazzone is President of Mazzone Hardware Corp., a four-store chain located in New York City. Three of the locations are Ace branded stores, and one location is an independently branded Benjamin Moore Paint Store. He obtained ownership of his family’s business in 2003 and, in 2013, joined Ace Hardware. He has been involved in many community organizations and events during his career and, in 2016, was named the Ace Hardware “All Star Retailer” for his work with the Children’s Miracle Network (CMN). During his time with Ace, Mazzone has served as a member of the Paint and CMN Retailer Input Teams, as well as the Ace Retailer Group Leader Advisory Board. Mazzone holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management from St. John’s University.
Lauterbach joined the Board in 2023. He is Chair of the Compensation and Human Resources Committee, a member of the Retail Supply Chain Committee, and a member of the Nominating and Governance Committee. Lauterbach is the former President and CEO of Peet’s Coffee, a premium coffee roaster comprised of Retail Coffee Shops, eCommerce and Consumer Packaged Goods business channels. As President and CEO, Lauterbach was responsible for all company operations of the $1B+, 5,000-person company, including subsidiaries Stumptown Coffee and Intelligentsia Coffee, as well as Peet’s international business in China and the Middle East. He has served on the Board of Stumptown Coffee and Revive Kombucha, as well as the German International School of Silicon Valley, and Sterne School of San Francisco. He also serves in an advisory capacity for Caffree, an early stage food technology company. Lauterbach holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from UC Santa Barbara and an MBA from Pepperdine University.
Outgoing non-member director Karen May has served the maximum number of years of Board service permitted by the bylaws. The Company recognizes the years of dedicated service that May has provided and thanks her for her outstanding efforts.
About Ace Hardware
Ace Hardware is the largest hardware cooperative in the world, serving more than 8,900 locally owned and operated stores around the globe, while providing the best products, services, and operating methods to almost 5,300 Ace retail stores in the United States. Ace Hardware’s family of brands includes Ace Hardware, Emery Jensen Distribution, and independent retailers worldwide. Headquartered in Oak Brook, Ill., Ace operates an expansive network of U.S. distribution centers, along with international capabilities in Ningbo, China. Since 1924, Ace has been a part of local communities, known as the place with the helpful hardware folks. For more information, visit acehardware.com or newsroom.acehardware.com.
