Empire State Realty Trust, Inc. 8-K

What Happened

• Empire State Realty Trust, Inc. filed a Form 8-K (Item 5.02) reporting that on March 15, 2026 the Board appointed Jean Sutherland as Chief Accounting Officer and principal accounting officer of the Company and its operating partnership, effective March 16, 2026.
• Stephen V. Horn will continue as Chief Financial Officer and principal financial officer and will transition his Chief Accounting Officer duties to Ms. Sutherland; Ms. Sutherland will report to Mr. Horn.

Key Details

• Effective date: March 16, 2026.
• New CAO: Jean Sutherland, age 38; served as VP, Financial Reporting and Accounting Policy for ESRT since June 17, 2024.
• Experience: over seven years at WeWork (lease accounting, financial reporting, technical accounting; Global Head of Financial Reporting and Technical Accounting) and over five years at Ernst & Young LLP (Canada and New York). Ms. Sutherland is a CPA and holds a Bachelor of Management and Organizational Studies from Western University (2011).
• Corporate governance: Company expects to enter into an indemnification agreement with Ms. Sutherland in line with agreements for other officers; the filing states no arrangements or reportable related-party transactions or family relationships requiring disclosure.

Why It Matters

• The filing documents a leadership change in the Company’s accounting function: the Company has designated a separate principal accounting officer (Ms. Sutherland) while retaining Mr. Horn as principal financial officer, clarifying the division of accounting and financial responsibilities.
• The filing provides background on the new CAO’s qualifications and confirms there are no disclosed related-party issues or special arrangements beyond a standard indemnification agreement. The 8-K does not disclose compensation changes or other material transactions related to the appointment.