---
schema_version: "secwatch.filing_event.v1"
accession: "0000950170-23-071491"
form_type: "8-K"
ticker: "LESL"
cik: "0001821806"
company_name: "Leslie's, Inc."
filed_at: "2023-12-19T23:59:59+00:00"
generated_at: "2026-06-07T10:41:11.887500+00:00"
event_type: "leadership"
sentiment: "neutral"
materiality_score: 0.5
calibrated_materiality_score: 0.5
confidence: "high"
source: SEC EDGAR
---

# Leslie's board succession: Chairman Ortega to retire at March 2024 meeting; Ray resigns; Strain named chairman-elect

## Summary
- Chairman Steven L. Ortega will not stand for re-election and retires at the March 2024 annual meeting after nearly 20 years with the company.
- James Ray, Jr. resigns as lead independent director effective Dec 18, 2023, due to becoming CEO of another public company.
- John Strain appointed lead independent director immediately and named chairman-elect ahead of the 2024 annual meeting.
- Board size reduced from nine to eight directors effective Dec 19, 2023, and to seven directors at the 2024 annual meeting.
- All departures are not due to any disagreement with the company's operations, policies, or practices.

## SEC filing metadata
- accession: 0000950170-23-071491
- form_type: 8-K
- ticker: LESL
- cik: 0001821806
- company_name: Leslie's, Inc.
- filed_at: 2023-12-19T23:59:59+00:00
- event_type: leadership
- sentiment: neutral
- materiality_score: 0.5
- calibrated_materiality_score: 0.5
- confidence: high
- sec_items: 5.02, 7.01, 9.01
- EDGAR index: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1821806/000095017023071491/0000950170-23-071491-index.htm
- EDGAR primary document: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1821806/000095017023071491/lesl-20231218.htm

## Machine-readable alternates
- HTML: https://secwatch.observer/filing/0000950170-23-071491
- JSON: https://secwatch.observer/filing/0000950170-23-071491.json
- Plain text: https://secwatch.observer/filing/0000950170-23-071491.txt

## Key facts
- Executive change
  James Ray, Jr. resigned as Director at Leslie's, Inc..
  - Action: resigned
  - Role: Director
  source text: James Ray, Jr., notified the Company of his resignation as a director of the Company, effective as of December 18, 2023, following his appointment as Chief Executive Officer and a member of the Board of Directors of Commercial Vehicle Group, Inc.
  evidence_url: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1821806/000095017023071491/0000950170-23-071491-index.htm
- Executive change
  Steven L. Ortega departed as Chairman of the Board at Leslie's, Inc..
  - Action: not stand for re-election and retire
  - Role: Chairman of the Board
  source text: Steven L. Ortega notified the Company of his intention to not stand for re-election and retire as Chairman of the Company’s Board of Directors (the “Board”) at the expiration of his term at the Company’s 2024 Annual Meeting of Shareholders currently scheduled for March 15, 2024.
  evidence_url: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1821806/000095017023071491/0000950170-23-071491-index.htm

This AI-assisted summary is a reading aid. Review the linked SEC EDGAR filing before relying on any specific claim.