AKRON, Ohio – GOJO Industries announced Wednesday that Carey Jaros is set to become president and CEO of the company effective Jan. 1, 2020.

Mark Lerner, the current CEO of the 73-year-old Akron company, will become senior advisor and president emeritus, GOJO said in a news release.

GOJO is a family-owned business that produces and markets hand sanitizers, soaps and cleaning supplies with brands including Purell and Provon. The company invented Purell hand sanitizer in 1988.

“I am honored to be able to work alongside the most talented and committed people in our industry, in service of our GOJO purpose of saving lives and making life better through well-being solutions,” Jaros said in a statement. “The opportunities that lie ahead for us to have a positive impact on the world while continuing to grow this amazing business in Northeast Ohio are tremendous.”

Jaros joined GOJO in 2016 as chief strategy officer and transitioned to chief operating officer in July 2018. Previously, she worked as president of Walnut Ridge Strategic Management Co., vice president at Dealer Tire and management consultant at Bain and Co.

In her new role, Jaros will continue to work with GOJO Executive Chair Marcella Kanfer Rolnick, part of the third-generation of family leadership.

“Carey brings a rare combination of strategic perspective, practical business skills and real heart,” Kanfer Rolnick said of Jaros. “There is no one else I would rather partner with than Carey as we shape the future of GOJO.”

Kanfer Rolnick took over as executive chair when her father, Joe Kanfer, stepped down in May 2018.

Kanfer, nephew of founders Goldie and Jerry Lippman, led the company for decades before transitioning from CEO to venture consultant and member of the board last year. Kanfer ran the business alongside Lerner, who will continue to advise projects, mentor employees and serve on the board.

“The two together make a formidable team,” Kanfer said of his daughter and Jaros. “Marcella and Carey share my passion for innovation and pushing boundaries, and I look forward to continuing to work with both of them and their teams to lead the business successfully into an exciting and ambitious future.”

Lerner, who was instrumental in reacquiring the Purell brand in 2010 after a sale to Johnson & Johnson in 2010, said he is optimistic about the future of the company.

“GOJO has a history of team-based leadership with each leader bringing complementary strengths that create a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts,” Lerner said. “This transition is the next step in that process and I am excited about this next chapter for GOJO.”

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