Willard D. Oberton joined the Donaldson Company Board of Directors in July 2006 and served through the 2025 Annual Meeting, most recently as Lead Independent Director and as Chair of the Corporate Governance Committee; he was succeeded as committee chair by Christopher M. Hilger effective August 1, 2025 and did not stand for re-election.
Oberton spent his executive career at Fastenal Company, an industrial and construction supplies manufacturer and distributor headquartered in Winona, Minnesota, where he was a director from 1999, President from 2001, and Chief Executive Officer from 2002 before serving as Chairman of the Board from 2014 to 2021.
Earlier at Fastenal he held roles including Chief Operating Officer, Executive Vice President and Vice President. He holds a marketing degree from St. Cloud Technical College in St. Cloud, Minnesota.