GMS Inc., a leading North American specialty distributor of interior building products, announced that William Forrest Bell has been appointed as the Company’s new Chief Accounting Officer, effective September 14, 2020.
Mr. Bell joins GMS from Icahn Automotive Group, an aftermarket automotive parts distribution and service company, where he served as Chief Accounting Officer. Previously, Mr. Bell served as Chief Accounting Officer for Veritiv Corporation, a publicly traded distributor of packaging and paper products and provider of logistics and supply chain management solutions and as Senior Vice President, Chief Accounting Officer, and Corporate Controller of Crawford & Company. Mr. Bell has over 35 years of accounting and finance experience, including 14 years in public accounting where he began his career with Price Waterhouse. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from the University of Tennessee and a Master of Business Administration degree from George Washington University.
“We are pleased to welcome a senior accounting and finance executive with Forrest’s capabilities to the GMS team,” said Scott M. Deakin, Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. “His extensive experience as a chief accounting officer, deep understanding of distribution businesses, and background in public accounting and assurance make him a great addition to our highly-capable finance organization in support of the execution of GMS’s strategic growth initiatives.”