Matson Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer to Retire

Chris Scott to succeed John Lauer as EVP and CCO

Mar. 13, 2026 at 2:08am

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Matson, Inc. announced that John Lauer, Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer, will retire on July 1, 2026 after 19 years of leading the company's sales, marketing, pricing and customer service activities. The company also announced that Chris Scott, Senior Vice President, Transpacific Service and Corporate Pricing, will be promoted to succeed Lauer as EVP and CCO.

Why it matters

Lauer's retirement marks the end of an era at Matson, a leading provider of ocean transportation and logistics services. His departure will allow the company to transition to new leadership as it looks to continue its growth, particularly in its international operations.

The details

Under Lauer's leadership, Matson has reinforced its standing as the leading carrier in its core domestic markets and expanded its expedited services between China and the U.S. West Coast. Chris Scott, who will succeed Lauer, has 34 years of broad industry experience and has been integral to the successful growth of Matson's China services over the past decade.

  • John Lauer will retire on July 1, 2026.
  • Chris Scott will be promoted to EVP and CCO effective July 1, 2026.

The players

John Lauer

Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer of Matson, Inc. who is retiring after 19 years of leading the company's sales, marketing, pricing and customer service activities.

Chris Scott

Senior Vice President, Transpacific Service and Corporate Pricing at Matson, Inc. who will be promoted to succeed Lauer as EVP and CCO.

Matt Cox

Chairman and CEO of Matson, Inc.

Qiang Gao

Senior Vice President, Asia at Matson, Inc.

Tony Crisafulli

Director of Trade, Transpacific Service at Matson, Inc. who will be promoted to Vice President, Transpacific Service.

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What they’re saying

“John is a role model for leadership at Matson. He embodies values to which we all aspire – teamwork, mutual respect, integrity, accountability and innovation – and lives them every day. During his tenure, John has influenced the evolution of virtually all of our business processes and made them better.”

— Matt Cox, Chairman and CEO (morningstar.com)

“As a result of our longstanding bench development and succession planning efforts, we have a dynamic veteran Matson leader in Chris Scott, who is well prepared to take the baton.”

— Matt Cox, Chairman and CEO (morningstar.com)

What’s next

The company's succession plan will elevate Tony Crisafulli, Director of Trade, Transpacific Service, to the position of Vice President, Transpacific Service when Scott's appointment becomes effective on July 1.

The takeaway

Matson's leadership transition highlights the company's commitment to developing internal talent and ensuring a smooth succession process, which will be crucial as it looks to continue its growth and expansion, particularly in its international operations.