Pentair is a pure-play water-equipment company spanning Flow, Water Solutions and Pool, pursuing growth and margin expansion while adapting to softer 2026 demand and positioning for normalized performance in 2027. The July 14 announcement had already made a CFO search and Robert Fishman’s interim appointment public, so this filing is mainly the search’s completion rather than a surprise.
The leadership gap is now being closed with a permanent hire. The board appointed Robert W. Hau as executive vice president and CFO effective November 1, 2026. 〔0〕 Hau has been Pentair’s finance chief only since September 15, but brings prior CFO experience at Fiserv, TE Connectivity and Lennox. That gives Pentair a seasoned operator rather than extending the interim arrangement, which modestly improves execution continuity while the company navigates its demand reset.
The price of reducing that uncertainty is a sizeable retention-oriented package. Hau receives a $775,000 base salary and a 100% annual cash-bonus target, plus a $2.5 million restricted-stock-unit award that cliff-vests after five years and a $200,000 new-hire cash bonus. 〔1〕 〔2〕
| Compensation item | Filing detail |
|---|---|
| Annual base salary | $775,000 (Executive compensation) |
| Annual cash bonus target | 100% of base salary (Executive compensation) |
| Initial restricted-stock-unit award | $2.5 million grant-date fair value; five-year cliff vesting (Executive compensation) |
| New-hire cash bonus | $200,000, subject to repayment if Hau voluntarily leaves within two years (Executive compensation) |
This filing does not change the operating or financial story. It adds no new guidance, results or strategic action; its business impact is narrower: Pentair now has a permanent CFO to help execute through the temporary headwinds management identified in July.
Bottom line: Pentair has replaced an expected interim CFO with a credible permanent hire, a modestly constructive step for execution continuity. The filing matters for leadership stability, not for the company’s underlying 2026 operating outlook.
Read the original 8-K on SEC EDGAR ↗