Craig Arnold

Craig Arnold
Born	, 1960
Birthplace	United States
Nationality	American
Occupation	Business executive
Title	Former Chairman and CEO
Employer	Eaton Corporation (former)
Known for	Chairman and CEO of Eaton Corporation

Craig Arnold is an American business executive who served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Eaton Corporation, a global intelligent power management company. During his tenure leading Eaton, Arnold oversaw the company's strategic transformation and growth in sectors related to electrical, aerospace, vehicle, and eMobility power management. Since stepping down from his role at Eaton, Arnold has taken on prominent board positions at major corporations, including appointments to the boards of directors of Procter & Gamble and KKR & Co. Inc., reflecting his reputation as a seasoned leader in the industrial and corporate governance spheres. His career at Eaton spanned multiple decades and leadership roles across the company's diverse business segments before he assumed the top executive position.

Career

Eaton Corporation

Craig Arnold spent a significant portion of his professional career at Eaton Corporation, a diversified industrial manufacturer and intelligent power management company headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, with significant operations in the United States. Arnold rose through the ranks of the organization, holding leadership positions across several of Eaton's business units before being named to the company's highest executive role.

Arnold served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Eaton Corporation, a position from which he led the company's global operations. Under his leadership, Eaton operated as a major multinational enterprise focused on providing energy-efficient solutions across multiple industries. The company's portfolio during Arnold's tenure encompassed electrical products and systems, aerospace components, vehicle drivetrain and powertrain systems, and emerging eMobility technologies, positioning Eaton at the intersection of traditional industrial manufacturing and the global energy transition.

As CEO, Arnold was responsible for steering Eaton's strategic direction during a period of significant change in the global industrial landscape. The company's focus on intelligent power management placed it in a central role as industries increasingly sought solutions for electrification, energy storage, and grid modernization. Arnold's leadership coincided with growing demand for infrastructure investment and clean energy technologies, sectors in which Eaton maintained substantial market positions.

Eaton Corporation, under Arnold's stewardship, operated in numerous countries and served customers across a broad range of sectors, including utilities, data centers, commercial and residential construction, aerospace and defense, and automotive and commercial vehicle markets. The company's diversified portfolio was a hallmark of its strategy, allowing it to balance cyclical fluctuations across different end markets.

Post-Eaton Board Appointments

Procter & Gamble

In June 2025, The Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE: PG) announced the appointment of Craig Arnold to its board of directors. The appointment recognized Arnold's extensive executive experience leading a major global industrial corporation. Procter & Gamble described Arnold as the former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Eaton Corporation in announcing his appointment, highlighting his background leading a global intelligent power management company as a qualification for service on the consumer goods giant's board.

The appointment to the P&G board placed Arnold among the directors of one of the world's largest consumer products companies, with a portfolio of brands spanning household care, personal care, health care, and other consumer categories. Board service at a company of P&G's scale and global reach represented a continuation of Arnold's involvement in corporate governance at the highest levels of American business.

KKR & Co. Inc.

On September 24, 2025, KKR & Co. Inc. (NYSE: KKR), the global investment firm, announced the appointment of Craig Arnold to its board of directors. The appointment increased the number of independent seats on KKR's board to eleven.

The KKR board appointment further underscored Arnold's standing in the corporate and financial communities following his tenure at Eaton. KKR, one of the world's leading investment firms with significant holdings across private equity, infrastructure, real estate, and credit markets, sought Arnold's operational and strategic expertise gained from leading a major multinational industrial company. The addition of Arnold as an independent director reflected KKR's effort to strengthen its board with executives possessing deep experience in industrial operations and global business management.

Arnold's simultaneous service on the boards of both Procter & Gamble and KKR placed him in a position of influence across two distinct but significant sectors of the global economy — consumer products and alternative asset management. These appointments, coming in close succession in 2025, indicated the breadth of demand for his leadership experience following his departure from the CEO role at Eaton.

Recognition

Craig Arnold's leadership of Eaton Corporation and his subsequent board appointments at major global companies attest to his recognized stature in the American and international business communities. His selection for the boards of both Procter & Gamble and KKR & Co. Inc. in 2025 reflected the regard in which his executive experience and strategic judgment were held by leading corporations and financial institutions.

Procter & Gamble, in announcing Arnold's appointment, specifically cited his role as former Chairman and CEO of Eaton Corporation, a global intelligent power management company, as a principal qualification for board service. Similarly, KKR's announcement of Arnold's appointment to its board highlighted his background and the value his independent perspective would bring to the investment firm's governance structure.

Arnold's career trajectory — rising through Eaton's organizational hierarchy to lead the company as both Chairman and CEO, and then transitioning to governance roles at major publicly traded companies — represents a pattern of sustained recognition by the business establishment. His post-CEO career path is consistent with that of other former Fortune 500 chief executives who are sought after for their operational expertise, industry knowledge, and experience navigating complex global business environments.

Legacy

Craig Arnold's tenure as Chairman and CEO of Eaton Corporation placed him at the helm of one of the most significant industrial companies in the United States during a period of profound transformation in the energy and power management sectors. Eaton's position as a global intelligent power management company meant that Arnold's leadership decisions had implications for industries ranging from electrical infrastructure and aerospace to vehicle electrification and data center power systems.

The breadth of Arnold's post-Eaton corporate board engagements — spanning consumer products at Procter & Gamble and global alternative investments at KKR — illustrates the transferability and perceived value of the strategic and operational competencies he developed during his career at Eaton. His movement into these governance roles following his executive career continued a tradition among prominent American business leaders of contributing to corporate oversight across multiple sectors.

Eaton Corporation's evolution during Arnold's leadership reflected broader trends in the industrial economy, including the increasing centrality of electrification, sustainability, and digital power management. As the company's chief executive, Arnold was positioned as a key figure in the industrial response to these trends, overseeing a portfolio that addressed many of the core infrastructure challenges associated with the global energy transition.

Arnold's career at Eaton and his subsequent board roles place him among the cohort of American industrial executives who have shaped the strategic direction of major multinational companies in the early 21st century. His appointments to the boards of P&G and KKR in 2025, shortly after his departure from Eaton, underscore his continued involvement in American corporate life at the highest levels.