Scotts Miracle-Gro announces retirement of president, executive reorganization

The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company announced a reorganization of its executive team following the planned retirements of President Mike Lukemire and Executive Vice President, Global Human Resources and Chief Ethics Officer Denise Stump.Lukemire, 65, and Stump, 69, longtime executive team members with over 20 years experience each at the Company, will retire under a mutually agreed upon succession plan on October 1, 2023, the start of ScottsMiracle-Gro’s 2024 fiscal year. Replacing Stump is Julie DeMuesy, most recently senior vice president, human resources operations, who has been promoted to senior vice president, chief human resources officer and chief ethics officer. DeMuesy has been with the Company for 13 cumulative years, serving in a variety of roles with increasing responsibility. Jim Hagedorn, chairman and CEO, will assume the additional duties of president upon Lukemire’s departure. In a related move, Matt Garth, who joined the Company in December 2022 as executive vice president and CFO, has been named to the expanded role of chief administrative officer. This follows the September 2023 promotion of Nate Baxter, who joined the Company in May 2023 as an executive vice president, to COO. Under the new executive structure, Baxter is responsible for operation functions, including Supply Chain, Sales, Marketing, R&D and Information Technology, among others. Garth is responsible for corporate functions, including Finance, Strategy, Legal, Investor Relations and Corporate Communications, among others. Led by Hagedorn, the executive team includes Baxter, Garth, DeMuesy, Dimiter Todorov, executive vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary, and Chris Hagedorn, division president in charge of wholly-owned subsidiary Hawthorne Gardening Company. The executive team restructuring coincides with reductions in other senior positions, primarily at the vice president and senior vice president levels.