CPI Card Group Announces New Chief Accounting Officer; Controller Departs

What Happened

• CPI Card Group Inc. announced on August 26, 2026 (via an 8-K and press release) that Brennan Hughes was appointed Chief Accounting Officer effective August 24, 2026. Mr. Hughes, age 50, joins from Artisan Partners (Director of Finance & Head of Investor Relations, 2024–2026) and previously served at Janus Henderson (including SVP, Chief Accounting Officer & Treasurer, 2013–2024). He holds a Master of Accountancy and a B.S. in Accounting from the University of Denver, is a CPA, and holds FINRA Series 27 registration.
• The Company also reported that Donna Abbey Carmignani ceased serving as Controller and Chief Accounting Officer effective August 20, 2026 and, upon departure, became eligible for severance payments and benefits under the Company’s U.S. Executive Severance and Change in Control Guidelines (as described in the 2026 Proxy Statement).

Key Details

• Appointment effective date: August 24, 2026; announcement date: August 26, 2026.
• Compensation package for Brennan Hughes: $350,000 annual base salary; $200,000 target short-term incentive; $200,000 target long-term incentive.
• One-time awards: $100,000 grant-date value in restricted stock units (vests in equal annual installments over 3 years beginning on the first anniversary of the grant date — grant date Aug 31, 2026) and a $150,000 cash sign-on award.
• The filing included a press release (Regulation FD disclosure) announcing the appointment.

Why It Matters

• This filing signals a leadership change in CPI Card Group’s accounting function, which is directly relevant to financial reporting and internal controls. Investors should note the company has named an experienced accounting and investor-relations executive as CAO.
• The disclosed compensation and one-time sign-on/RSU awards represent both ongoing and near-term costs to the company (salary plus a $150,000 cash sign‑on and $100,000 RSU grant), while the former Controller may receive severance per the company’s existing guidelines.