---
schema_version: "secwatch.filing_event.v1"
accession: "0001685040-26-000031"
form_type: "8-K"
ticker: "BHF"
cik: "0001685040"
company_name: "Brighthouse Financial, Inc."
filed_at: "2026-08-18T20:22:34+00:00"
generated_at: "2026-08-18T20:24:30.008123+00:00"
event_type: "leadership"
sentiment: "neutral"
materiality_score: 0.5
calibrated_materiality_score: 0.5
confidence: "high"
source: SEC EDGAR
---

# Brighthouse appoints Richard Cook as CAO; Pavlovich resigns effective Sept 2

## Summary
- Richard A. Cook named Chief Accounting Officer effective Sept 3, 2026; succeeds Melissa B. Pavlovich.
- Pavlovich resigning to pursue new opportunity; last day Sept 2, 2026; departure unrelated to financials.
- Cook receives $425,000 base salary, 60% STI target, and $219,500 LTI target.
- Cook joined Brighthouse in 2016; served as Interim CAO Nov 2024–Aug 2025, then Deputy CAO.

## SEC filing metadata
- accession: 0001685040-26-000031
- form_type: 8-K
- ticker: BHF
- cik: 0001685040
- company_name: Brighthouse Financial, Inc.
- filed_at: 2026-08-18T20:22:34+00:00
- event_type: leadership
- sentiment: neutral
- materiality_score: 0.5
- calibrated_materiality_score: 0.5
- confidence: high
- sec_items: 5.02, 9.01
- EDGAR index: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1685040/000168504026000031/0001685040-26-000031-index.htm
- EDGAR primary document: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1685040/000168504026000031/bhf-20260818.htm

## Machine-readable alternates
- HTML: https://secwatch.observer/filing/0001685040-26-000031
- JSON: https://secwatch.observer/filing/0001685040-26-000031.json
- Plain text: https://secwatch.observer/filing/0001685040-26-000031.txt

## Key facts
- Executive change
  Richard A. Cook was appointed as Chief Accounting Officer at Brighthouse Financial, Inc..
  - Action: appointed
  - Role: Chief Accounting Officer
  source text: appointed Richard A. Cook, the Company’s Deputy Chief Accounting Officer, as Chief Accounting Officer (“CAO”), effective September 3, 2026.
  evidence_url: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1685040/000168504026000031/0001685040-26-000031-index.htm
- Executive change
  Melissa B. Pavlovich departed as Chief Accounting Officer at Brighthouse Financial, Inc..
  - Action: resigning
  - Role: Chief Accounting Officer
  source text: who informed the Company on August 12, 2026 that she has accepted a new opportunity and will be resigning from the Company.
  evidence_url: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1685040/000168504026000031/0001685040-26-000031-index.htm

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