{"schema_version":"secwatch.filing_event.v1","accession":"0001018164-22-000002","form_type":"8-K","ticker":"WLFC","cik":"0001018164","company_name":"WILLIS LEASE FINANCE CORP","filed_at":"2022-03-08T23:59:59+00:00","discovered_at":"2026-05-14T18:04:05.073614+00:00","generated_at":"2026-06-27T00:36:05.622949+00:00","sec_items":["5.02","9.01"],"event_type":"leadership","sentiment":"neutral","materiality_score":0.6,"calibrated_materiality_score":0.6,"confidence":"high","headline":"Willis Lease Finance appoints Austin C. Willis as CEO; Charles Willis becomes Executive Chairman","bullets":["Austin C. Willis to become CEO effective April 1, 2022; Charles F. Willis IV steps down as CEO same date.","Charles Willis will serve as Executive Chairman with initial annual base salary of $1,097,000 and target bonus of 100%.","Austin Willis receives employment agreement with base salary of $640,000 (rising to $775,000 by Sept 2023) and target bonus of 90%.","Charles Willis receives $1M signing bonus, personal use of company plane/car/marine vessel, and right to terminate Austin Willis without cause in first two years.","Both employment agreements include change-in-control vesting acceleration and severance benefits."],"urls":{"canonical":"https://secwatch.observer/filing/0001018164-22-000002","json":"https://secwatch.observer/filing/0001018164-22-000002.json","markdown":"https://secwatch.observer/filing/0001018164-22-000002.md","text":"https://secwatch.observer/filing/0001018164-22-000002.txt","edgar_index":"https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1018164/000101816422000002/0001018164-22-000002-index.htm","edgar_primary_document":"https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1018164/000101816422000002/wlfc-20220303.htm"},"model":{"generated_by":"deepseek-v4-flash:cloud@v2","generated_at":"2026-06-27T00:36:05.622949+00:00"},"review":{"review_status":"machine_generated","human_reviewed":false,"corrected":false,"correction_note":null,"correction_timestamp":null,"superseded_by":null,"related_filings":[]},"source_grounded_claims":[{"claim_id":"1bf49bb658","claim":"Charles F. Willis, IV changed role as Executive Chairman at WILLIS LEASE FINANCE CORP.","evidence_excerpt":"Charles Willis will continue to serve as the Chairman of the Board and will assume the role of Executive Chairman on April 1, 2022.","evidence_source":"SEC 8-K Item 5.02","evidence_url":"https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1018164/000101816422000002/0001018164-22-000002-index.htm","confidence":0.95,"family_label":"Executive change","details":[{"label":"Action","value":"assumed role of"},{"label":"Role","value":"Executive Chairman"}],"fact_type":"executive_change"},{"claim_id":"4f78562381","claim":"Austin C. Willis was appointed as Chief Executive Officer at WILLIS LEASE FINANCE CORP.","evidence_excerpt":"appointed Austin C. Willis, currently a member of the Board and the Company’s Senior Vice President, Corporate Development, as the Company’s Chief Executive Officer, effective April 1, 2022.","evidence_source":"SEC 8-K Item 5.02","evidence_url":"https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1018164/000101816422000002/0001018164-22-000002-index.htm","confidence":0.95,"family_label":"Executive change","details":[{"label":"Action","value":"appointed"},{"label":"Role","value":"Chief Executive Officer"}],"fact_type":"executive_change"}],"license":"Source filings: public domain (SEC EDGAR). Summaries (headline + bullets): CC-BY-4.0; attribute https://secwatch.observer"}