---
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"
generated_at: "2026-06-27T00:36:05.622949+00:00"
event_type: "leadership"
sentiment: "neutral"
materiality_score: 0.6
calibrated_materiality_score: 0.6
confidence: "high"
source: SEC EDGAR
---

# Willis Lease Finance appoints Austin C. Willis as CEO; Charles Willis becomes Executive Chairman

## Summary
- 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.

## SEC filing metadata
- 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
- event_type: leadership
- sentiment: neutral
- materiality_score: 0.6
- calibrated_materiality_score: 0.6
- confidence: high
- sec_items: 5.02, 9.01
- 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

## Machine-readable alternates
- HTML: https://secwatch.observer/filing/0001018164-22-000002
- JSON: https://secwatch.observer/filing/0001018164-22-000002.json
- Plain text: https://secwatch.observer/filing/0001018164-22-000002.txt

## Key facts
- Executive change
  Charles F. Willis, IV changed role as Executive Chairman at WILLIS LEASE FINANCE CORP.
  - Action: assumed role of
  - Role: Executive Chairman
  source text: 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_url: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1018164/000101816422000002/0001018164-22-000002-index.htm
- Executive change
  Austin C. Willis was appointed as Chief Executive Officer at WILLIS LEASE FINANCE CORP.
  - Action: appointed
  - Role: Chief Executive Officer
  source text: 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_url: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1018164/000101816422000002/0001018164-22-000002-index.htm

This AI-assisted summary is a reading aid. Review the linked SEC EDGAR filing before relying on any specific claim.