Cintas directors named to Most Influential Corporate Board Directors list

Two Board members honored by WomenInc. for their influence and impact on the organization

CINCINNATI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Melanie W. Barstad and Karen L. Carnahan, both members of the Board of Directors at Cintas Corporation (Nasdaq: CTAS), have been selected to WomenInc.’s 2023 Most Influential Corporate Board Directors list, which the publication announced on October 10.

WomenInc.’s Most Influential Corporate Board Directors list provides a comprehensive listing of women executives, influencers and achievers contributing leadership to corporate boards.

“Melanie and Karen provide invaluable perspective and leadership to our Board of Directors and to the company,” said Cintas Executive Chairman Scott D. Farmer. “Both Directors have extensive experience in corporate management and have influence in key areas of our strategy and management. Their counsel and perspective have been important factors in our company’s success over the years.”

Melanie W. Barstad

An independent director, Barstad was elected to Cintas’ Board of Directors in 2011. At Cintas, she serves on the Board’s Compensation Committee and the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee.

Barstad worked at the Johnson & Johnson Family of Companies for 23 years before retiring in 2009 as President of Women’s Health in its Medical Device and Diagnostics Division. She also served as the co-chair of Johnson & Johnson’s world-renowned Women’s Leadership Initiative.

This is Barstad’s second listing on WomenInc.’s Most Influential Board Directors list after she was first honored in 2019.

“This is a great honor,” said Barstad. “It’s a recognition to women at Cintas, to women in the business world and to women in general. I’d like to also congratulate Karen (Carnahan) who is also being recognized this year. Women in business, women in leadership has always been a passion for me. I’ve been very lucky to be able to make a difference in that area, but especially at Cintas.”

Karen L. Carnahan

Carnahan was elected to the Cintas Board of Directors in 2019. An independent director, she serves on the Board’s Audit Committee and the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee.

Carnahan was a Cintas employee-partner for 35 years. She joined Cintas in 1979 as an accountant and rose through the ranks to Vice President and Treasurer, then Vice President of Corporate Development before she was tapped as President and COO of the company’s former Document Management business. When that business merged with Shred-It in 2014, she served as its COO until her retirement in 2015.

This is Carnahan’s first recognition on WomenInc.’s Most Influential Board Directors list.

“I’m very humbled, quite honestly, by this recognition,” said Carnahan. “I’m proud to be recognized as a member of my alma mater, Cintas. There’s no better way to be recognized than to see all the hard work since 1979 culminate in a directorship and being acknowledged like this.”

About Cintas Corporation

Cintas Corporation helps more than one million businesses of all types and sizes get Ready^™ to open their doors with confidence every day by providing products and services that help keep their customers’ facilities and employees clean, safe, and looking their best. With offerings including uniforms, mats, mops, towels, restroom supplies, workplace water services, first aid and safety products, eye-wash stations, safety training, fire extinguishers, sprinkler systems and alarm service, Cintas helps customers get Ready for the Workday^®. Headquartered in Cincinnati, Cintas is a publicly held Fortune 500 company traded over the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol CTAS and is a component of both the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index and Nasdaq-100 Index.