John Fortson joins Dentsply Sirona as executive vice president and chief financial officer, bringing over 25 years of leadership experience.
Dentsply Sirona announced the appointment of John Fortson as executive vice president and chief financial officer, effective July 20.
Leadership Background
Fortson joins Dentsply Sirona with more than 25 years of leadership experience in finance, operations, and strategy across public and private equity-backed companies. He has served for 13 years as either chief financial officer or chief executive officer of global manufacturing and industrial businesses.
According to a press release, throughout his career, Fortson has executed large-scale business and finance initiatives, capital allocation strategies, acquisitions, and integrations to strengthen financial discipline and drive growth.
“We are excited to welcome John to Dentsply Sirona,” says Dan Scavilla, president and CEO of Dentsply Sirona, in a release. “Following an extensive search, John emerged as the clear choice to serve as our next CFO given his rare combination of public company CFO experience, CEO perspective, capital markets expertise, and a proven track record of driving growth and operational excellence at scale.”
Scavilla added that Fortson’s collaborative style and strategic mindset will make him a strong partner as the company advances its Return-to-Growth Action Plan.
Previous Executive Roles
Fortson joins Dentsply Sirona from Kymera International, where he served as president and chief financial officer. During his tenure, he helped lead the integration of an expanded global platform spanning 21 manufacturing facilities across 14 countries. He oversaw the consolidation of 12 ERP systems and drove initiatives to improve forecasting, liquidity, and operational efficiency.
Prior to Kymera, Fortson spent nearly a decade at Ingevity Corporation, a global specialty chemicals and materials company with approximately $1.3 billion in annual revenue. He served initially as chief financial officer and later as president, chief executive officer, and a board member. At Ingevity, he led the separation from WestRock and helped establish a capital structure through a $700 million credit facility, a $300 million high-yield bond offering, and more than $1 billion in strategic acquisitions.
Earlier in his career, Fortson served as chief financial officer of AAR Corp, a global aviation services company with more than $2 billion in annual revenue. There, he led a portfolio restructuring that included divesting non-core manufacturing assets, retiring $325 million of debt, and returning more than $150 million to shareholders.
Early Career and Education
Before entering corporate leadership, Fortson spent 15 years in investment banking at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, ultimately serving as managing director in the industrials group. Prior to his investment banking career, he served as an officer in the US Army for seven years.
“I am honored to join Dentsply Sirona at such an important time for the company. With leading market positions, innovative products, and significant opportunities ahead, I believe Dentsply Sirona is poised for long-term growth,” says Fortson, executive vice president and chief financial officer of Dentsply Sirona, in a release. “I look forward to partnering with Dan and the leadership team to strengthen performance, drive disciplined execution across the business and deliver long-term growth and value creation for shareholders.”
Fortson holds a master of business administration from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business and a bachelor of science from the United States Military Academy at West Point.
Photo: Dentsply Sirona
