---
schema_version: "secwatch.filing_event.v1"
accession: "0001654954-23-000388"
form_type: "8-K"
ticker: "EML"
cik: "0000031107"
company_name: "EASTERN CO"
filed_at: "2023-01-13T23:59:59+00:00"
generated_at: "2026-06-20T15:39:49.825626+00:00"
event_type: "leadership"
sentiment: "neutral"
materiality_score: 0.65
calibrated_materiality_score: 0.65
confidence: "high"
source: SEC EDGAR
---

# Eastern Company appoints Mark Hernandez as CEO effective Jan 23, 2023; August Vlak resigns

## Summary
- Mark Hernandez named CEO, succeeding August Vlak who served since 2016; effective Jan 23, 2023.
- Hernandez receives $515,000 base salary, target bonus 100% of base, and upfront 15,000-share restricted stock award.
- Vlak resigns from board and all officer/director positions; departure treated as without cause for severance.
- Hernandez previously EVP at Navistar, with prior roles at McKinsey and Daimler; holds Naval Academy degree.

## SEC filing metadata
- accession: 0001654954-23-000388
- form_type: 8-K
- ticker: EML
- cik: 0000031107
- company_name: EASTERN CO
- filed_at: 2023-01-13T23:59:59+00:00
- event_type: leadership
- sentiment: neutral
- materiality_score: 0.65
- calibrated_materiality_score: 0.65
- confidence: high
- sec_items: 5.02, 9.01
- EDGAR index: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/31107/000165495423000388/0001654954-23-000388-index.htm
- EDGAR primary document: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/31107/000165495423000388/eml_8k.htm

## Machine-readable alternates
- HTML: https://secwatch.observer/filing/0001654954-23-000388
- JSON: https://secwatch.observer/filing/0001654954-23-000388.json
- Plain text: https://secwatch.observer/filing/0001654954-23-000388.txt

## Key facts
- Executive change
  August Vlak resigned as Chief Executive Officer at EASTERN CO.
  - Action: resigned
  - Role: Chief Executive Officer
  source text: Mr. Vlak resigned as a member of the Board of Directors of the Company and from all other officer, director, trustee, fiduciary and other positions with the Company and its subsidiaries and affiliates, effective as of January 23, 2023.
  evidence_url: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/31107/000165495423000388/0001654954-23-000388-index.htm
- Executive change
  Mark Hernandez was appointed as Chief Executive Officer at EASTERN CO.
  - Action: appointed
  - Role: Chief Executive Officer
  source text: appointed Mark Hernandez, a member of its Board of Directors since June 2022, to serve as the Company’s Chief Executive Officer, effective January 23, 2023
  evidence_url: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/31107/000165495423000388/0001654954-23-000388-index.htm

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