Cooper Equipment Rentals Names Brian Spilak the Company’s Next CEO
Cooper Equipment Rentals has appointed Brian Spilak as CEO, effective March 1, 2026, succeeding Doug Dougherty, who will transition to the role of executive chair of the board of directors on the same date. The changes are part of a long-planned leadership succession.
Spilak joined Cooper Equipment Rentals in 2016 and was appointed chief operating officer in 2023. He brings more than 30 years of experience in the equipment rental industry, with leadership spanning operations, fleet management, customer engagement, and technology. During his tenure, Spilak has been a driving force behind strengthening Cooper’s operating discipline and technology capabilities, enabling the company to execute its growth strategy while maintaining a strong customer-first culture across its national footprint.
“Cooper is built on strong fundamentals, a customer-first mindset, and a culture that values execution,” said Spilak. “I am proud to step into this role and build on that foundation. Our focus remains clear: serving our customers exceptionally well, investing in our people, and growing the business in a disciplined and sustainable way across Canada.”
Doug Dougherty has served as CEO since 2010. Under his leadership, Cooper executed a disciplined growth strategy that combined organic expansion with selective acquisitions, expanding from two locations to 89 locations nationwide. Over this period, the company completed 18 acquisitions, grew to more than $500 million in annual revenue, and built a fleet valued at more than $1 billion.
“This transition reflects years of deliberate succession planning and confidence in the leadership team we have built,” said Dougherty. “Brian has been instrumental in building Cooper’s operational discipline and customer focus, and I have full confidence in his ability to lead the company forward. I look forward to supporting Brian and the business in my role as executive chair.”
As executive chair, Dougherty will focus on board leadership, long-term strategy, and stewardship of Cooper’s culture. Seafort Capital, Cooper’s private equity partner, expressed strong support for the transition.
“This is a well-planned leadership transition that reflects the strength of Cooper’s organization and long-term strategy,” said Rob Normandeau, managing partner and president, Seafort Capital. “We have strong confidence in Brian and the leadership team to continue executing the company’s strategy and building long-term value.”
Cooper Equipment Rentals, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, is No. 16 on the RER 100.
About the Author
Michael Roth
Editor
Michael Roth has covered the equipment rental industry full time for RER since 1989 and has served as the magazine’s editor in chief since 1994. He has nearly 30 years experience as a professional journalist. Roth has visited hundreds of rental centers and industry manufacturers, written hundreds of feature stories for RER and thousands of news stories for the magazine and its electronic newsletter RER Reports. Roth has interviewed leading executives for most of the industry’s largest rental companies and manufacturers as well as hundreds of smaller independent companies. He has visited with and reported on rental companies and manufacturers in Europe, Central America and Asia as well as Mexico, Canada and the United States. Roth was co-founder of RER Reports, the industry’s first weekly newsletter, which began as a fax newsletter in 1996, and later became an online newsletter. Roth has spoken at conventions sponsored by the American Rental Association, Associated Equipment Distributors, California Rental Association and other industry events and has spoken before industry groups in several countries. He lives and works in Los Angeles when he’s not traveling to cover industry events.