---
schema_version: "secwatch.filing_event.v1"
accession: "0001332349-25-000066"
form_type: "8-K"
ticker: "BKD"
cik: "0001332349"
company_name: "Brookdale Senior Living Inc."
filed_at: "2025-04-14T23:59:59+00:00"
generated_at: "2026-05-23T15:21:06.758293+00:00"
event_type: "leadership"
sentiment: "positive"
materiality_score: 0.85
calibrated_materiality_score: 0.85
confidence: "high"
source: SEC EDGAR
---

# Brookdale CEO Baier steps down; Q1 preliminary Adj. EBITDA, FCF exceed expectations

## Summary
- CEO Lucinda Baier stepped down effective April 13, 2025; Denise W. Warren appointed Interim CEO.
- Interim Office of the CEO includes CFO Dawn Kussow and GC Chad White; CEO search initiated with Spencer Stuart.
- Q1 2025 preliminary Adjusted EBITDA and RevPAR expected to exceed company and consensus expectations.
- Company expects positive Adjusted Free Cash Flow in Q1, historically a negative FCF quarter; occupancy above 80%.
- Mark Fioravanti (CEO of Ryman Hospitality) appointed to Board; director Frank Bumstead will not stand for reelection.

## SEC filing metadata
- accession: 0001332349-25-000066
- form_type: 8-K
- ticker: BKD
- cik: 0001332349
- company_name: Brookdale Senior Living Inc.
- filed_at: 2025-04-14T23:59:59+00:00
- event_type: leadership
- sentiment: positive
- materiality_score: 0.85
- calibrated_materiality_score: 0.85
- confidence: high
- sec_items: 2.02, 5.02, 7.01, 9.01
- EDGAR index: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1332349/000133234925000066/0001332349-25-000066-index.htm
- EDGAR primary document: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1332349/000133234925000066/bkd-20250413.htm

## Machine-readable alternates
- HTML: https://secwatch.observer/filing/0001332349-25-000066
- JSON: https://secwatch.observer/filing/0001332349-25-000066.json
- Plain text: https://secwatch.observer/filing/0001332349-25-000066.txt

## Key facts
- Executive change
  Denise W. Warren was appointed as Interim Chief Executive Officer at Brookdale Senior Living Inc..
  - Action: appointed
  - Role: Interim Chief Executive Officer
  source text: the Board appointed Denise W. Warren, current Chairman of the Board, as Interim Chief Executive Officer, to serve until the appointment of a new Chief Executive Officer of the Company.
  evidence_url: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1332349/000133234925000066/0001332349-25-000066-index.htm
- Executive change
  Chad C. White was appointed as Member, Office of the Chief Executive Officer at Brookdale Senior Living Inc..
  - Action: appointed
  - Role: Member, Office of the Chief Executive Officer
  source text: The Board appointed Ms. Warren, Dawn L. Kussow, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of the Company, and Chad C. White, Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of the Company, to serve as members of the Office of the CEO (and designated each of Ms. Warren, Ms. Kussow and Mr. White as a principal executive officer of the Company), in each case, effective as of April 13, 2025.
  evidence_url: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1332349/000133234925000066/0001332349-25-000066-index.htm
- Executive change
  Dawn L. Kussow was appointed as Member, Office of the Chief Executive Officer at Brookdale Senior Living Inc..
  - Action: appointed
  - Role: Member, Office of the Chief Executive Officer
  source text: The Board appointed Ms. Warren, Dawn L. Kussow, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of the Company, and Chad C. White, Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of the Company, to serve as members of the Office of the CEO (and designated each of Ms. Warren, Ms. Kussow and Mr. White as a principal executive officer of the Company), in each case, effective as of April 13, 2025.
  evidence_url: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1332349/000133234925000066/0001332349-25-000066-index.htm
- Executive change
  Lucinda M. Baier departed as President and Chief Executive Officer and member of the Board at Brookdale Senior Living Inc..
  - Action: ceased
  - Role: President and Chief Executive Officer and member of the Board
  source text: On April 14, 2025, the Company announced that the board of directors of the Company (the “Board”) and Lucinda M. Baier, the Company’s President and Chief Executive Officer and member of the Board, mutually agreed that Ms. Baier’s role serving as the Company’s President and Chief Executive Officer and as a member of the Board would cease, effective as of April 13, 2025.
  evidence_url: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1332349/000133234925000066/0001332349-25-000066-index.htm

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