Onity Group Names Aulene Wessel Senior Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer

Rhea-AI Summary

Onity Group (NYSE: ONIT) named Aulene Wessel Senior Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer, effective February 23, 2026. Ms. Wessel will report to Sean O’Neil, EVP and CFO, and lead controllership, technical accounting, internal controls, audits, and GAAP compliance.

Ms. Wessel joins from Truist Bank and previously held senior accounting and reporting roles at SoFi, Silicon Valley Bank, and American Express. She succeeds Francois Grunenwald, who will depart after a transition period following more than six years with the company.

Positive

• Appointment effective Feb 23, 2026 strengthens controllership leadership
• Background includes Truist, SoFi, Silicon Valley Bank, American Express

Negative

• Departure of CAO Francois Grunenwald after more than six years
• Short transition period required to transfer controllership responsibilities

Key Figures

Effective date: February 23, 2026 Announcement date: February 24, 2026 Prior service length: More than 6 years

3 metrics

Effective date February 23, 2026 Start date of Aulene Wessel’s role as SVP and Chief Accounting Officer

Announcement date February 24, 2026 Date the leadership change was publicly announced

Prior service length More than 6 years Tenure of outgoing executive Francois Grunenwald at Onity

Market Reality Check

Price: $40.67 Vol: Volume 71,346 is slightly...

normal vol

$40.67 Last Close

Volume Volume 71,346 is slightly above the 20-day average of 66,579, indicating modestly elevated trading interest ahead of this leadership update. normal

Technical Shares at $40.67 are trading slightly below the 200-day MA of $41.10, after a -3.51% move over 24 hours.

Peers on Argus

Among key mortgage finance peers, several names were also weak: BETR -2.34%, VEL...

1 Down

Among key mortgage finance peers, several names were also weak: BETR -2.34%, VEL -0.96%, and LDI -5.00%, while HMPT and GHLD were flat. ONIT’s -3.51% decline appears more company-specific than part of a broad, high-conviction sector rotation.

Historical Context

5 past events · Latest: Feb 12 (Positive)

Pattern 5 events

Date	Event	Sentiment	Move	Catalyst
Feb 12	Full-year 2025 earnings	Positive	+6.1%	Reported record 2025 results with strong net income, EPS and revenue growth.
Jan 30	Debt offering close	Neutral	-1.6%	$200M 9.875% Senior Notes due 2029 closed via PHH subsidiaries.
Jan 29	Earnings call scheduled	Neutral	+1.6%	Announced timing and access details for Q4 and full-year 2025 call.
Jan 26	Debt pricing update	Neutral	-1.0%	Priced additional $200M of 9.875% Senior Notes due 2029 at 103.25%.
Jan 26	Debt offering launch	Neutral	-1.0%	Launched $150M additional 9.875% Senior Notes due 2029 via PHH units.

Pattern Detected

Recent news events, including strong earnings and multiple debt offerings, have generally seen share price moves that align directionally with the underlying news tone, with no clear pattern of consistent divergence.

Recent Company History

Over the last few months, Onity has focused on capital structure and financial performance. In January 2026, subsidiaries launched and priced additional 9.875% Senior Notes due 2029, later closing a $200M senior notes offering. Preliminary and final 2025 results highlighted strong earnings, higher originations, and a new $10M share repurchase authorization. Today’s leadership announcement around the Chief Accounting Officer role follows this period of balance sheet activity and robust profitability disclosures.

Regulatory & Risk Context

Active S-3 Shelf

Shelf Active

Active S-3 Shelf Registration 2025-07-11

The company has an active S-3/A shelf registration dated July 11, 2025, currently shown as not yet effective with 0 recorded usages in the provided data. Specific capacity amounts and any takedowns are not detailed here.

Market Pulse Summary

This announcement highlights a leadership transition in Onity’s accounting and controllership functi...

Analysis

This announcement highlights a leadership transition in Onity’s accounting and controllership function, with a new Senior Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer effective February 23, 2026. The role oversees core accounting operations, internal controls, and GAAP compliance. In the context of recently reported strong 2025 results and active capital markets activity, investors may watch for consistent reporting quality, internal control robustness, and any changes in disclosure style across upcoming filings and earnings communications.

Key Terms

chief accounting officer, controllership function, internal controls, technical accounting, +4 more

8 terms

chief accounting officer financial

"named Senior Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer, effective February 23, 2026"

A chief accounting officer is a senior executive responsible for overseeing a company's financial records and ensuring all accounting practices are accurate and compliant with regulations. They play a key role in preparing financial reports that help investors understand the company's financial health, much like a trusted navigator guiding a ship through complex waters. Their work ensures transparency and trust in the company's financial information.

controllership function financial

"responsible for providing strategic leadership of the controllership function, overseeing all core accounting operations"

The controllership function is the part of a company that keeps its financial books accurate, prepares official reports, and enforces internal accounting controls—think of it as the organization’s financial scorekeeper and rule enforcer. Investors care because reliable, timely numbers and strong controls reduce the risk of errors or fraud, making it easier to judge performance, value the business, and trust management’s claims.

internal controls technical

"overseeing all core accounting operations, internal controls, technical accounting, audits"

Internal controls are the policies, procedures and routine checks a company uses to keep its financial records accurate, safeguard assets, and ensure laws and internal rules are followed. For investors they matter because strong controls reduce the risk of accounting errors, fraud or surprise liabilities; think of them as locks, alarms and bookkeeping checklists that make a company’s reported results more trustworthy and lower the chance of unexpected losses.

technical accounting technical

"overseeing all core accounting operations, internal controls, technical accounting, audits"

Technical accounting covers the detailed, rule-based choices and calculations companies make when preparing financial reports—things like how to record complex deals, estimate asset values, recognize revenue, or disclose risks. It matters to investors because these behind-the-scenes decisions can change reported profits, assets, or debt level much like using different lenses alters a photograph, affecting how a business’s health and trends are seen and compared over time.

audits financial

"internal controls, technical accounting, audits, and third-party service providers utilized for these services"

An audit is an independent, structured review of a company’s financial records and controls to confirm that reported numbers are accurate and follow accounting rules. Think of it like a neutral referee checking a team's scorecard and rulebook: it reduces the chance of errors or misleading figures, so investors can trust financial statements when deciding whether to buy, hold, or sell a stock.

gaap financial

"as well as ensuring compliance with GAAP and other applicable regulations, rules and laws"

GAAP, or Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, are a set of standardized rules and guidelines that companies follow when preparing their financial statements. They ensure consistency, transparency, and comparability across different companies, making it easier for investors to understand and compare financial information accurately. This helps investors make informed decisions based on trustworthy and uniform financial reports.

sec reporting regulatory

"Aulene brings deep technical accounting, SEC reporting, and operational controllership expertise"

SEC reporting is the process by which publicly traded companies regularly share important financial information with the government agency responsible for overseeing the stock market. This information helps investors understand a company's financial health and make informed decisions, much like how a doctor’s check-up provides insight into a person's well-being. Consistent and transparent reporting ensures trust and fairness in the financial markets.

chartered global management accountant financial

"She is certified as a Chartered Global Management Accountant in the United Kingdom"

A chartered global management accountant is a professional credential for accountants who specialize in helping businesses plan, measure and steer their financial performance. Think of them as a company's internal navigator: they turn raw numbers into practical plans, risk assessments and performance reports that leaders use to make strategic decisions. For investors, seeing this qualification on a company’s finance team or in disclosures suggests stronger internal budgeting, forecasting and financial oversight.

AI-generated analysis. Not financial advice.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla., Feb. 24, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Onity Group Inc. (NYSE: ONIT) (“Onity” or the “Company”) today announced that Aulene Wessel has been named Senior Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer, effective February 23, 2026. Ms. Wessel reports to Sean O’Neil, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Onity.

Ms. Wessel is responsible for providing strategic leadership of the controllership function, overseeing all core accounting operations, internal controls, technical accounting, audits, and third-party service providers utilized for these services, as well as ensuring compliance with GAAP and other applicable regulations, rules and laws.

“We are pleased to welcome Aulene to the Company,” said O’Neil. “Aulene brings deep technical accounting, SEC reporting, and operational controllership expertise, along with a broad background spanning financial services and consumer finance. Her strong technical expertise and collaborative leadership approach will be instrumental in driving informed decision-making across the enterprise, bringing rigorous insight and sound judgment, and ensuring disciplined execution and accounting compliance.”

Ms. Wessel succeeds Francois Grunenwald, who will be leaving the Company after a transition period to pursue opportunities outside of Onity.

“I want to sincerely thank Francois for more than six years of dedicated service and meaningful contributions,” said O’Neil. “Over this time, he has been a trusted leader and partner, leaving a lasting positive impact on our Finance organization and the broader Company. I am also appreciative of Francois’ willingness to remain with us for a brief period to support a seamless transition. I wish him all the best in his future endeavors.”

Aulene Wessel Background

Aulene Wessel most recently served as Executive Vice President and Deputy Controller at Truist Bank. Prior to that, she served as Head of Financial Reporting and Policy at SoFi Technologies. Previously, Aulene served as Head of Accounting Implementation and earlier as Head of Accounting Policy at Silicon Valley Bank. She also served in leadership roles at American Express, including Vice President and Controller, Global Merchant Services and Loyalty and Vice President, Global Accounting Policy and Advisory. Earlier in her career, she worked at Barclays in London, UK and BDO in Cape Town, South Africa. Aulene holds a Bachelor of Accounting degree from the University of Stellenbosch, South Africa, and a Bachelor of Commerce in Accounting postgraduate degree from the University of Natal, South Africa. She is certified as a Chartered Global Management Accountant in the United Kingdom by the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants.

About Onity Group

Onity Group Inc. (NYSE: ONIT) is a leading non-bank financial services company providing mortgage servicing and originations solutions through its primary brands, PHH Mortgage and Liberty Reverse Mortgage. PHH Mortgage is one of the largest servicers in the country, focused on delivering a variety of servicing and lending programs to consumers and business clients. Liberty is one of the nation’s largest reverse mortgage lenders dedicated to providing loans that help customers meet their personal and financial needs. We are headquartered in West Palm Beach, Florida, with offices and operations in the United States, the U.S. Virgin Islands, India and the Philippines, and have been serving our customers since 1988. For additional information, please visit onitygroup.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These forward-looking statements may be identified by a reference to a future period or by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “look forward to” and references to goals, strategies, and agendas, although not all forward-looking statements contain these words. Forward-looking statements in this press release include statements relating to the expected contributions of our new Chief Accounting Officer.

Forward-looking statements involve a number of assumptions, risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those suggested by the forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, changes in market conditions, the industry in which Onity operates, and its business, the actions of governmental entities and regulators, developments in litigation matters, and other risks and uncertainties detailed in Onity’s reports and filings with the SEC, including its annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025. Anyone wishing to understand Onity Group Inc.’s business should review its SEC filings. Onity’s forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made and Onity disclaims any obligation to update or revise forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

For Further Information Contact:

Investors:

Valerie Haertel, VP, Investor Relations
(561) 570-2969
shareholderrelations@onitygroup.com

Media:

Dico Akseraylian, SVP, Corporate Communications
(856) 917-0066
mediarelations@onitygroup.com

FAQ

Who is Aulene Wessel and what role did Onity (ONIT) appoint her to on February 23, 2026?

Aulene Wessel was named Senior Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer at Onity on Feb 23, 2026. According to the company, she reports to CFO Sean O’Neil and will lead controllership, audits, internal controls, technical accounting, and GAAP compliance across the enterprise.

What experience does Aulene Wessel bring to her ONIT Chief Accounting Officer role?

Ms. Wessel brings senior accounting and SEC reporting experience from major financial firms. According to the company, her background includes roles at Truist Bank, SoFi, Silicon Valley Bank, American Express, Barclays, and BDO, plus accounting degrees from South African universities.

Who will Aulene Wessel report to at Onity (ONIT) and what responsibilities will she have?

Ms. Wessel reports to Sean O’Neil, Executive VP and CFO, and will oversee controllership and accounting functions. According to the company, responsibilities include internal controls, technical accounting, audits, third-party providers, and ensuring GAAP and regulatory compliance.

What happened to the prior Chief Accounting Officer at Onity (ONIT)?

Francois Grunenwald will leave Onity after a brief transition period following more than six years of service. According to the company, he will remain temporarily to support a seamless handover before pursuing opportunities outside the company.

Does Onity (ONIT) note any timing or immediate operational impact from the CAO change?

The appointment is effective Feb 23, 2026, and the prior CAO will assist during transition. According to the company, Francois Grunenwald will stay for a short period to support a seamless transfer of responsibilities across the finance organization.