The Board of Directors’ choice of Neil as our next leader culminated an orderly succession plan that began a year before. Neil has a very successful track record of profitable growth through innovation and the ability and vision to take actions and implement strategies that will enhance this industry and our world in ways that have not been done before. He and our global team of associates are going to do great things together and continue to light the way into the future.

Within weeks of Neil’s appointment, the COVID-19 pandemic arrived and forever changed our business and our world. It was my delight, but not my surprise, to witness first-hand Neil’s remarkable leadership and the fortitude, adaptability, and determination that our team of associates demonstrated to keep our Company operating safely and effectively. They did not miss a beat.

Today, Acuity Brands, the market leader in North America, is financially and organizationally strong and positioned for growth in the years ahead. Neil’s vision and entrepreneurial leadership along with investments we have made in the past, position us well for the future. We have established a solid operating foundation that our team consistently and creatively executes from with excellence, regardless of outside pressures.

I would like to thank all our stakeholders – shareholders, customers, partners, suppliers, associates, and the many communities where we operate – for the loyalty and support they have shown me throughout my time here. I have enjoyed our interactions and relationships and those memories will no doubt be the first thing I think of when I reflect on my wonderful years at this Company. Thank you for our journey together. It has been a privilege and an honor to be a part of the Acuity Brands team.

I am very excited about the Company’s future…and I firmly believe that Acuity Brands’ best days are ahead.

VERNON J. NAGEL
Executive Chairman