Centene Corporation filed a Form 8-K with the SEC on August 17, 2026, disclosing the planned retirement of Chief Financial Officer Andrew Asher at year-end and the appointment of Christopher Neczypor as his successor effective January 1, 2027, along with a reaffirmation of the company's full-year 2026 adjusted diluted EPS guidance.

Key Highlights

  • CFO retirement: Andrew Asher informed Centene on August 12, 2026 that he intends to retire as Chief Financial Officer effective December 31, 2026.
  • Successor named: Christopher Neczypor, age 45, is identified as Asher's successor, with his CFO appointment expected to be effective January 1, 2027.
  • Transition role: Asher will serve as Strategic Advisor through the end of 2027 to support an orderly transition and certain strategic initiatives.
  • Compensation package: Neczypor will receive an annual base salary of $1,100,000, a target annual cash bonus of 150% of base salary, a one-time make-whole restricted stock unit grant valued at $10,000,000, and a one-time cash sign-on bonus of $2,000,000.
  • Long-term equity: In 2027, Neczypor will be eligible for $5,250,000 in annual long-term equity incentive awards valued at target under the company's 2025 Stock Incentive Plan, at the discretion of the Board's Compensation and Talent Committee.
  • Guidance reaffirmed: Centene reaffirmed its full-year 2026 adjusted diluted EPS guidance of greater than $4.80 and all associated 2026 full-year guidance metrics from its July 28, 2026 second quarter earnings press release.

Centene's CFO Transition: Terms, Timeline, and Compensation Details

According to the filing, Centene Corporation (NYSE:CNC) disclosed that Andrew Asher notified the company on August 12, 2026 of his intent to retire as Chief Financial Officer on December 31, 2026. Following his retirement, the filing states Asher will assume the role of Strategic Advisor, reporting to Chief Executive Officer Sarah M. London, through the end of 2027 "to ensure an orderly transition and to support certain strategic initiatives of the Company."

The company disclosed that it has entered into an employment agreement with Christopher Neczypor, dated August 12, 2026. Under that agreement, Neczypor will join Centene on or about September 1, 2026 as Executive Vice President, reporting to Ms. London, before assuming the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer title expected January 1, 2027. The filing notes that in the initial Executive Vice President role, Neczypor "will not initially be an officer of the Company for purposes of Section 16 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934." The make-whole restricted stock units are described as compensating Neczypor "for forfeited compensation from Lincoln" and will vest in equal installments on each of the first three anniversaries of his start date. The filing specifies that if Neczypor resigns voluntarily without "good reason" or is terminated for "cause" within 12 months of his start date, he must repay the $2,000,000 cash sign-on bonus.

The filing describes Neczypor's background as including service as Chief Financial Officer of Lincoln National Corporation (NYSE: LNC) from February 2023 to August 2026, as Chief Strategy Officer for Lincoln from November 2021 to February 2023, and as Head of Investment Risk and Strategy at Lincoln from April 2018 through November 2021. Before Lincoln, he was an investor at Kingdon Capital Management from May 2014 to April 2018. He holds a bachelor's degree in finance and accounting from Lehigh University. The company's 2026 guidance reaffirmation and statements regarding the CFO transition timeline are characterized in the filing as forward-looking statements subject to the company's cautionary language under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.

What Was Disclosed

Centene's August 17, 2026 filing reported the retirement of its CFO effective December 31, 2026, named a successor with a detailed compensation package, and reaffirmed full-year 2026 adjusted diluted EPS guidance of greater than $4.80.