Item 4A. Executive Officers of the Registrant

Following is information about the Executive Officers of Grainger including age as of January 31, 2019. Executive Officers of Grainger generally serve until the next annual election of officers, or until earlier resignation or removal.



Name and Age	Positions and Offices Held and Principal Occupation and Employment During the Past Five Years
Kathleen S. Carroll (50)	Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer, a position assumed in December 2018. Previously, Ms. Carroll served as Executive Vice President, Chief Human Resources Officer of First Midwest Bancorp, Inc., a diversified financial services company, from 2017 to 2018. Prior to that role, Ms. Carroll was employed at Aon Corporation, a global insurance brokerage and consulting company, between 2006 and 2017, in various Human Resources roles, culminating in her position as Vice President, Global Head of Talent Acquisition.
John L. Howard (61)	Senior Vice President and General Counsel, a position assumed in 2000. Previously, Mr. Howard served in several roles of increasing responsibility at Tenneco, Inc., a global conglomerate. Prior to that role, Mr. Howard held a variety of legal positions in the federal government, including Associate Deputy Attorney General in the U.S. Department of Justice and in The White House as Counsel to the Vice President.
D.G. Macpherson (51)	Chairman of the Board, a position assumed in October 2017, and Chief Executive Officer, a position assumed in October 2016 at which time he was also appointed to the Board of Directors. Previously, Mr. Macpherson served as Chief Operating Officer, a position assumed in 2015; Senior Vice President and Group President, Global Supply Chain and International, a position assumed in 2013; Senior Vice President and President, Global Supply Chain and Corporate Strategy, a position assumed in 2012, and Senior Vice President, Global Supply Chain, a position assumed in 2008. From 2002 to 2008, Mr. Macpherson was a partner and managing director at The Boston Consulting Group, a global management consulting firm.
Deidra C. Merriwether (50)	Senior Vice President, U.S. Direct Sales and Strategic Initiatives, a position assumed in September 2017. Previously, Ms. Merriwether served as Vice President, Pricing and Indirect Procurement, a position assumed in 2016, and as a Vice President in Finance from 2013 to 2016. Prior to joining Grainger in September 2013, Ms. Merriwether has held various positions as a Vice President, including positions of increasing responsibility at Sears Holdings Corporation, a broadline retailer, PriceWaterhouseCoopers, a global professional services firm, and Eli Lilly & Company, a global pharmaceutical company, across Finance, Procurement and Operations, lastly serving as Chief Operating Officer, Retail Formats, at Sears Holdings Corporation.
Thomas B. Okray (56)	Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, a position assumed in May 2018. Prior to joining Grainger, Mr. Okray served as Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer of Advance Auto Parts, Inc., a leading automotive aftermarket parts provider in North America, a position assumed in 2016. Previously, Mr. Okray served as Vice President, Finance, Global Customer Fulfillment, of Amazon.com, Inc., an online retailer, from January 2016 to October 2016; as Vice President, Finance, North American Operations of Amazon, from June 2015 to January 2016; and was employed by General Motors Company, a global automotive company, from July 1989 to June 2015, in a variety of finance and supply chain related roles, culminating in his position as CFO, Global Product Development, Purchasing & Supply Chain, from January 2010 to June 2015.
Paige K. Robbins (50)	Senior Vice President and Chief Digital Officer, a position assumed in September 2017. Previously, Ms. Robbins served as Senior Vice President, Global Supply Chain, Branch Network, Contact Centers and Corporate Strategy, a position assumed in 2016. Since joining Grainger in September 2010, Ms. Robbins has held various positions as a Vice President, including in the areas of Global Supply Chain and Logistics.
Eric R. Tapia (42)	Vice President and Controller, a position assumed in 2016. Mr. Tapia served as Vice President, Internal Audit, from 2010 to 2016. Mr. Tapia is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and before joining Grainger in 2010 was an audit partner with KPMG, a global professional services firm.

PART II

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