World Acceptance Corporation filed a Form 8-K on September 21, 2026, disclosing the appointment of John L. Calmes Jr. as President and Chief Executive Officer, effective September 21, 2026, along with the terms of his new employment agreement and related officer designation changes.

Key Highlights

  • New CEO appointed: John L. Calmes Jr., age 46, was appointed President and Chief Executive Officer, effective September 21, 2026.
  • Base salary: The employment agreement provides for a base salary of $600,000.
  • Guaranteed bonus: Mr. Calmes is entitled to a guaranteed bonus of $300,000 for fiscal 2027, within an annual incentive bonus opportunity of up to 100% of base salary.
  • Equity grant: An additional long-term equity incentive grant valued at $500,000 was included in the employment agreement.
  • New Principal Financial Officer: Scott McIntyre, age 50, was designated as Principal Financial Officer for SEC reporting purposes, succeeding Mr. Calmes in that role, with no changes to his compensation.
  • Long tenure: Mr. Calmes joined the company in December 2013 and most recently held the titles of Executive Vice President, Chief Financial and Strategy Officer, and Treasurer since October 2018.

World Acceptance Corporation Appoints Longtime CFO as President and CEO

According to the filing, the Board of Directors of World Acceptance Corporation (NASDAQ:WRLD) appointed John L. Calmes Jr. as President and Chief Executive Officer on September 17, 2026, with the appointment taking effect September 21, 2026. Mr. Calmes, age 46, has been designated as the company's Principal Executive Officer for SEC reporting purposes, replacing J. Tobin Turner, the company's current Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, in that role.

The filing states that Mr. Calmes joined the company in December 2013 as Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer. He has held the titles of Executive Vice President, Chief Financial and Strategy Officer, and Treasurer since October 2018. Prior to joining World Acceptance, he served as Director of Finance at Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ and as a Senior Manager at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, where, according to the filing, he "specialized in serving publicly listed banking and capital markets clients." He holds a Bachelor of Arts in accounting and a Master of Accountancy from the Darla Moore School of Business at the University of South Carolina.

In connection with the appointment, the company and Mr. Calmes entered into an employment agreement dated September 21, 2026. The agreement includes base salary of $600,000, an annual incentive bonus opportunity of up to 100% of base salary with a guaranteed bonus of $300,000 for fiscal 2027, an additional long-term equity incentive grant valued at $500,000, severance and change-in-control provisions, and customary restrictive covenants including non-competition and non-solicitation provisions, according to the filing. Separately, Scott McIntyre, age 50, was designated as Principal Financial Officer, continuing in his role as Senior Vice President of Accounting, a position he has held since October 2018.

What Was Disclosed

World Acceptance Corporation reported the appointment of John L. Calmes Jr. as President and CEO effective September 21, 2026, detailed his employment agreement terms, and disclosed the designation of Scott McIntyre as Principal Financial Officer, all under Item 5.02 of Form 8-K.