Dave Cote

Honeywell; portfolio-pruning + buybacks operator-allocator

David Cote served as CEO of Honeywell International from 2002 to 2017, then as Executive Chairman. Under his tenure, Honeywell's total shareholder return vastly outpaced the S&P 500, achieved through divesting peripheral businesses, rigorous cost discipline, and sustained buyback programmes. He articulated his capital-allocation philosophy in his 2020 book 'Winning Now, Winning Later'.