California Resources Corp 8-K

What Happened

• California Resources Corporation (CRC) announced in an 8-K filed March 16, 2026 that Michael Helm, age 58, has been appointed Vice President – Finance and Controller and will serve as the company’s principal accounting officer effective March 16, 2026. Helm joined CRC following CRC’s December 2025 merger with Berry Corporation, having served as Berry’s Chief Accounting Officer (since 2017) and CFO (Jan 2023–Jan 2025).
• The filing also reports the retirement of Noelle Repetti, CRC’s Senior Vice President and Controller, effective March 16, 2026; her departure was not due to any dispute with the company.

Key Details

• Effective date: March 16, 2026.
• Appointee: Michael Helm — prior roles include Berry Chief Accounting Officer (2017–), Berry CFO (Jan 2023–Jan 2025), CRC VP & Corporate Controller (2014–2017), Assistant Controller at Occidental (2007–2014). CPA since 1993; UCLA alumnus.
• Departing officer: Noelle Repetti — over 11 years of service; retirement not due to disagreement with CRC.
• Indemnification: CRC will enter into an Indemnification Agreement with Helm to indemnify and advance expenses to the fullest extent permitted under Delaware law.

Why It Matters

• This is a leadership change in CRC’s accounting function and principal accounting officer role—key for financial reporting, controls and SEC filings. Investors should note the continuity: Helm has prior CRC experience and post-merger accounting leadership at Berry. The indemnification agreement is a standard protection for senior officers and is disclosed in the filing.