Brad Cowles

Chief Operating Officer, Core & Main

Brad Cowles is the Chief Operating Officer for Core & Main (formerly HD Supply Waterworks Ltd), the nation’s largest distributor of water, wastewater and fire protection products and services.  Cowles leads Core & Main’s growth initiatives in Advanced Metering Technologies, Fusible Piping Solutions and Treatment Plants, along with Strategic Accounts, Marketing and Information Technology.  

Most recently, Cowles was the Chief Information Officer for HD Supply, where he was responsible for the Information Technology organization providing all technology-related services for the enterprise, from IT Infrastructure through applications for business operations and customer-facing ecommerce platforms.  He was recognized as the 2016 Enterprise CIO of the Year by the Georgia CIO Leadership Association, and he is an active member of that organization’s Advisory Board.  

Cowles joined HD Supply in 2005, where he held leadership roles of increasing responsibility in Mergers & Acquisitions, IT and three business units – Lumber & Building Materials, Interior Solutions, and lastly Waterworks & Fire Protection.

Cowles has more than 20 years of engineering, manufacturing and IT experience. Prior to his time at HD Supply, he spent 10 years with the Michelin Tire Corporation in various leadership roles in research and development, manufacturing and quality in both the United States and France.  He is fluent in French.

Cowles holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Florida, where he graduated Summa Cum Laude.