Atmos Energy CEO J. Kevin Akers to chair board if re-elected
The approved structure combines the CEO and chair roles, while an independent Lead Director is to continue, subject to re-election.
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Form Type
8-K
Rhea-AI Filing Summary
Atmos Energy Corporation (ATO) said Kim R. Cocklin, its Chairman of the Board, will retire from the Board and chair role effective at the date of the 2027 Annual Meeting; he will not stand for re-election and intends to remain Chairman through the meeting. The company said Cocklin reached the mandatory retirement age under its Corporate Governance Guidelines, and his decision was not due to a disagreement about operations, policies, or practices.
Effective at that meeting, the Board will combine the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer roles. President and CEO J. Kevin Akers will assume the chair role, subject to his re-election as a director. The independent members of the Board selected current Lead Director Nancy K. Quinn to continue in that role, subject to her re-election. The independent members will continue to select a Lead Director annually.
8-K Event Classification
3 items: 5.02, 7.01, 9.01
3 items
Item 5.02
Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers
Governance
Key personnel changes including departures, elections, or appointments of directors and executive officers.
Item 7.01
Regulation FD Disclosure
Disclosure
Material non-public information disclosed under Regulation Fair Disclosure, often investor presentations or guidance.
Item 9.01
Financial Statements and Exhibits
Exhibits
Financial statements, pro forma financial information, or exhibit attachments filed with this report.
Key Figures
Effective transition: 2027 Annual Meeting
Cocklin's service: Over 20 years
Cocklin's chair tenure: Since December 2020
3 metrics
Effective transition
2027 Annual Meeting
The leadership changes take effect at the meeting.
Cocklin's service
Over 20 years
Atmos Energy's stated length of service.
Cocklin's chair tenure
Since December 2020
Cocklin has served as Chairman since December 2020.
Key Terms
Corporate Governance Guidelines, Lead Director, mandatory retirement age
3 terms
Corporate Governance Guidelines regulatory
"mandatory retirement age under the Company’s Corporate Governance Guidelines"
A company’s corporate governance guidelines are a set of written rules and practices that explain how its board and executives make decisions, oversee risks, and hold themselves accountable—think of them as the organization’s playbook for fair and responsible leadership. Investors care because these guidelines shape how transparent decision-making is, reduce the chance of surprises or conflicts, and influence long‑term stability and trust, much like house rules keep a household running smoothly.
Lead Director technical
"the independent members of the Board will continue to annually select an independent director"
A lead director is a board member chosen by other independent directors to coordinate the board’s independent oversight of company management, acting like a team captain or referee who organizes meetings, leads discussions without the CEO present, and serves as a primary contact between independent directors and company leadership. Investors care because a strong lead director helps prevent conflicts of interest, improves decision-making and accountability, and signals that the board is actively watching how management runs the business.
mandatory retirement age regulatory
"reached mandatory retirement age under the Company’s Corporate Governance Guidelines"
FAQ
AI-generated questions and answers. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.
When do the leadership changes at ATO take effect?
Atmos Energy's leadership changes take effect at the date of its 2027 Annual Meeting. J. Kevin Akers's assumption of the Chairman role and Nancy K. Quinn's continuation as Lead Director are each subject to re-election as directors at that meeting.
Who will become Atmos Energy's chairman?
J. Kevin Akers, Atmos Energy's President and Chief Executive Officer, will assume the Chairman of the Board role at the date of the 2027 Annual Meeting, subject to his re-election as a director by shareholders.
AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
Form 8-K
Current Report Pursuant to Section 13 or
15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported)
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)
| and | Virginia | |||||||||||||
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| (State or Other Jurisdiction | (Commission File | (I.R.S. Employer | ||||||||||||
| of Incorporation) | Number) | Identification No.) | ||||||||||||
| ---------------------------------------------------- | ----------------- | |||||||
| (Address of Principal Executive Offices) | (Zip Code) | |||||||
(972 ) 934-9227
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(Registrant's Telephone Number, Including Area Code)
Not Applicable
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(Former Name or Former Address, if Changed Since Last Report)
| Title of each class | Trading Symbol | Name of each exchange on which registered | |||||||||
| No Par Value | |||||||||||
Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§ 230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§ 240.12b-2 of this chapter).
Emerging growth company ☐
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐
Item 5.02. Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers.
On November 3, 2026, Kim R. Cocklin notified Atmos Energy Corporation (the “Company”) of his decision to retire from the board of directors of the Company (the “Board”) and from the role of Chairman of the Board, effective as of the date of the Company’s annual meeting of shareholders (the “2027 Annual Meeting”). Mr. Cocklin has reached mandatory retirement age under the Company’s Corporate Governance Guidelines and will not stand for re-election to the Board at the 2027 Annual Meeting. He intends to continue to serve as the Chairman of the Board through the 2027 Annual Meeting and advised the Company that his decision not to stand for re-election was not the result of any disagreement with the Company on any matter relating to the Company’s operations, policies, or practices. During his tenure with the Company beginning in 2006, Mr. Cocklin has served in multiple leading roles including Chairman of the Board since December 2020, Executive Chairman of the Board from October 2017 to December 2020, Chief Executive Officer or President and Chief Executive Officer from October 2010 to September 2017, President and Chief Operating Officer from October 2008 to September 2010, Senior Vice President, Regulated Operations from October 2006 to September 2008 and Senior Vice President from June 2006 to September 2006. The Company wishes to express its appreciation to Mr. Cocklin for over 20 years of dedicated service to the Company.
On November 3, 2026, upon the recommendation of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee of the Board, the Board approved changes to its leadership structure to combine the roles of Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer effective upon the retirement of Mr. Cocklin. The Board believes this change to be in the best interests of the Company and its shareholders at this time. In accordance with the Corporate Governance Guidelines, the independent members of the Board will continue to annually select an independent director to serve as the Lead Director.
Accordingly, J. Kevin Akers, the Company’s President and Chief Executive Officer will assume the role of Chairman of the Board, effective as of the date of the Company’s 2027 Annual Meeting, subject to his re-election as a director by shareholders at the 2027 Annual Meeting. In addition, the independent members of the Board have selected Nancy K. Quinn, the current Lead Director, to continue to serve as Lead Director, effective as of the date of the Company’s 2027 Annual Meeting, subject to her re-election as a director by shareholders at the 2027 Annual Meeting.
Item 7.01. Regulation FD Disclosures.
On November 4, 2026, the Company issued a news release announcing the retirement of Mr. Cocklin and appointment of Mr. Akers as Chairman of the Board. A copy of the news release is furnished as Exhibit 99.1.
The information furnished in this Item 7.01 (including Exhibit 99.1) shall not be deemed to be “filed” for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section, nor shall such information be deemed to be incorporated by reference into any of the Company’s filings under the Securities Act of 1933 or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
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Item 9.01. Financial Statements and Exhibits.
(d) Exhibits
| Exhibit Number | Description | |||||||||||||
| 99.1 | News Release dated November 4, 2026 | |||||||||||||
| 101.INS | XBRL Instance Document - the Instance Document does not appear in the Interactive Data File because its XBRL tags are embedded within the Inline XBRL document. | |||||||||||||
| 101.SCH | Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema | |||||||||||||
| 101.LAB | Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Labels Linkbase | |||||||||||||
| 101.PRE | Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase | |||||||||||||
| 104 | Cover Page Interactive Data File - the cover page interactive data file does not appear in the interactive data file because its XBRL tags are embedded within the Inline XBRL document. | |||||||||||||
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SIGNATURE
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
| ATMOS ENERGY CORPORATION | ||||||||
| (Registrant) | ||||||||
| DATE: | November 4, 2026 | By: /s/ JESSICA W. BATEMAN | ||||||
| Jessica W. Bateman | ||||||||
| Senior Vice President, General Counsel | ||||||||
| and Corporate Secretary | ||||||||
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Exhibit 99.1
| News Release | ||
Analysts and Media Contact:
Richard Thomas (972) 855-3729
Atmos Energy Corporation Announces Retirement of Kim R. Cocklin and
Appointment of J. Kevin Akers as Chairman of the Board of Directors
DALLAS (November 4, 2026) - Atmos Energy Corporation (NYSE: ATO) announced today that Kim R. Cocklin, currently Chairman of the Board of Directors, will retire from the Board of Directors and from the role of Chairman of the Board, effective as of the date of the Company’s 2027 annual meeting of shareholders (“2027 Annual Meeting”) after distinguished service on the Board. He intends to continue to serve as the Chairman of the Board through the 2027 Annual Meeting. Mr. Cocklin has reached mandatory retirement age under the Company’s Corporate Governance Guidelines and will not stand for re-election to the Board at the 2027 Annual Meeting.
During his tenure with the Company beginning in 2006, Mr. Cocklin has served in multiple leading roles including Chairman of the Board since December 2020, Executive Chairman of the Board from October 2017 to December 2020, Chief Executive Officer or President and Chief Executive Officer from October 2010 to September 2017, President and Chief Operating Officer from October 2008 to September 2010, Senior Vice President, Regulated Operations from October 2006 to September 2008, and Senior Vice President from June 2006 to September 2006. The Company wishes to express its appreciation to Mr. Cocklin for over 20 years of dedicated service to the Company.
On November 3, 2026, the Board approved changes to its leadership structure to combine the roles of Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer effective upon the retirement of Mr. Cocklin. Accordingly, J. Kevin Akers, the Company’s President and Chief Executive Officer will assume the role of Chairman of the Board, effective as of the date of the Company’s 2027 Annual Meeting, subject to his re-election as a director by shareholders at the 2027 Annual Meeting. In addition, the independent members of the Board have selected Nancy K. Quinn, the current Lead Director, to continue to serve as Lead Director, effective as of the date of the Company’s 2027 Annual Meeting, subject to her re-election as a director by shareholders at the 2027 Annual Meeting.
“Kevin and I have worked side-by-side, and he has the leadership ability and deep industry experience to continue our safety-driven investment strategy, and I am fortunate to be able to pass the torch to such a strong leader. I will remain Chairman through our annual shareholders meeting and will be available to Kevin and the Board for a seamless transition,” said Cocklin.
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About Atmos Energy
Atmos Energy Corporation, a natural gas-only distributor, is an S&P 500 company headquartered in Dallas. We safely deliver reliable, efficient, and abundant natural gas to approximately 3.4 million distribution customers in over 1,400 communities across eight states located primarily in the South. As part of our vision to be the safest provider of natural gas services, we are modernizing our business and infrastructure while continuing to invest in safety, innovation, environmental sustainability, and our communities. Atmos Energy manages proprietary pipeline and storage assets, including one of the largest intrastate natural gas pipeline systems in Texas. Find us online at http://www.atmosenergy.com, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
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