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WLK · Current Report (Form 8-K) · Filed April 20, 2026

Westlake Corp — Current Report (Form 8-K)

Form
8-K
Filed
April 20, 2026
Period
Apr 15, 2026
Ticker
WLK
Accession
0001193125-26-164225
Boardroom Alpha · Filing insights

Westlake appoints Jonathan Baksht as CFO and GP director; incumbent CFO M. Steven Bender becomes Special Advisor after retirement. The package includes a $200,000 sign-on and $1.8 million in RSUs.

About Westlake Corp
Market cap
$11.1B
1Y TSR
+28.5%
3Y TSR
−4.4%
Board grade
C
Sector
Basic Materials
CEO
Jean-Marc Gilson
Last annual meeting: May 14, 2026 · View full Westlake Corp profile →
8-K
 
 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

 

FORM 8-K

 

 

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (date of earliest event reported): April 15, 2026

 

 

Westlake Corporation

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

 

 

Delaware   001-32260   76-0346924

(State or other jurisdiction

of incorporation)

 

(Commission

File Number)

 

(I.R.S. Employer

Identification No.)

 

2801 Post Oak Boulevard, Suite 600

Houston, Texas

  77056
(Address of principal executive offices)   (Zip Code)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (713) 960-9111

 

 

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

 

Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

 

Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

 

Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

 

Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

 

Title of each class

 

Trading
Symbol(s)

 

Name of each exchange
on which registered

Common Stock, $0.01 par value   WLK   The New York Stock Exchange
1.625% Senior Notes due 2029   WLK29   The New York Stock Exchange

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).

Emerging growth company ☐

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

 

 
 


Item 5.02.

Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers.

On April 15, 2026, the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors (the “Compensation Committee”) of Westlake Corporation (the “Company”) appointed Jonathan H. Baksht, age 51, as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of the Company, effective June 15, 2026. Mr. Baksht will succeed Mr. M. Steven Bender, who, as previously disclosed, will retire by the end of the year and, effective June 15, 2026, will transition from his position as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of the Company to the position of Special Advisor to the President of the Company.

In connection with his appointment as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of the Company, Mr. Baksht will also be appointed as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer and as a director of Westlake Chemical Partners GP LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company and the general partner of Westlake Chemical Partners LP, effective June 15, 2026.

Prior to joining the Company, Mr. Baksht served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Fortune Brands Innovations, Inc. from May 2025 to March 2026. From May 2022 to May 2025, Mr. Baksht served as Chief Financial Officer of Pactiv Evergreen Inc. and from August 2013 to September 2021, Mr. Baksht held various positions at Valaris Limited, including most recently as Chief Financial Officer from November 2015 until September 2021. Earlier in his career, he worked in investment banking at Goldman, Sachs & Co. and in management consulting at Andersen Consulting. He has served on the Board of Directors of Duxion Motors Inc. since January 2022 and previously served on the Board of Directors of ARO Drilling, a joint venture between Valaris and Saudi Aramco, from April 2019 to September 2021. Mr. Baksht received a bachelor’s of science degree in electrical engineering from the University of Texas at Austin and an M.B.A from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University.

In connection with his appointment, on April 15, 2026, the Compensation Committee approved a sign-on cash award of $200,000, payable after 30 days of employment, and an award of restricted stock units (“RSUs”) to Mr. Baksht under the Company’s amended and restated 2013 Omnibus Incentive Plan, with a total aggregate grant date fair value of $1,800,000. The number of shares of common stock of the Company underlying the RSUs will be determined by dividing the aggregate grant date fair value by the average of the high and low prices of the Company’s common stock on June 15, 2026. The RSUs fully vest on June 15, 2029, provided that Mr. Baksht remains in continuous full-time employment with the Company through June 15, 2029.

Mr. Baksht will have a base pay of $832,000 for 2026 and will be eligible to participate in the Company’s compensation and benefits plans and programs for similarly situated executives, with a 2026 target bonus of 90% under the Company’s Annual Incentive Plan and a long-term incentive target bonus of 275% (each as a percentage of base pay).

There are no family relationships between Mr. Baksht and any director or executive officer of the Company. Mr. Baksht does not have any interest in any transactions with the Company requiring disclosure under Item 404(a) of Regulation S-K, and there are no arrangements or understandings between Mr. Baksht and any other person pursuant to which he was appointed as an officer of the Company.

 

Item 7.01.

Regulation FD Disclosure.

On April 20, 2026, the Company issued a press release announcing the appointment of Mr. Baksht as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of the Company. A copy of the press release is furnished with this Current Report as Exhibit 99.1.

 

Item 9.01.

Financial Statements and Exhibits.

(d) Exhibits

 

Exhibit
No.

  

Description

99.1    Press release issued April 20, 2026
104    The cover page from this Current Report on Form 8-K, formatted in Inline XBRL.


SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

 

    WESTLAKE CORPORATION

Date: April 20, 2026

    By:  

/s/ L. Benjamin Ederington

     

L. Benjamin Ederington

Executive Vice President, Legal and External Affairs

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Reference

Frequently asked questions

When did Westlake Corp file this 8-K?
Westlake Corp (WLK) filed this Current Report (Form 8-K) with the SEC on April 20, 2026. The accession number assigned by EDGAR is 0001193125-26-164225.
What does an 8-K disclose?
Form 8-K is the SEC's current-report form, used to disclose material events between periodic reports (10-K / 10-Q). Triggers include CEO/CFO departures, acquisitions, bankruptcies, earnings releases, auditor changes, changes in fiscal year, and amendments to corporate governance. Each 8-K is keyed to one or more Item numbers (1.01 through 9.01).
What is the key takeaway from this filing?
Westlake appoints Jonathan Baksht as CFO and GP director; incumbent CFO M. Steven Bender becomes Special Advisor after retirement. The package includes a $200,000 sign-on and $1.8 million in RSUs. This is Boardroom Alpha's one-line summary of the current report; see the full filing text above for the formal disclosure.
What Item codes does an 8-K cover?
An 8-K's Item codes (1.01 through 9.01) specify what kind of event is being disclosed — e.g. Item 1.01 for entering a material agreement, Item 5.02 for departure/election of directors and executive officers, Item 8.01 for other events. The Item codes for this 8-K appear in the filing text above.
Where can I find Westlake Corp's prior current reports on EDGAR?
The SEC EDGAR browser lists every 8-K Westlake Corp has filed under CIK 1262823, sortable by date. Use the "View on SEC EDGAR" link in the page header, or browse directly via https://www.sec.gov/cgi-bin/browse-edgar.
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