PJT Partners (NYSE: PJT) taps Arun Kalra to succeed longtime CFO
Rhea-AI Filing Summary
PJT Partners Inc. announced a planned Chief Financial Officer transition. Helen Meates, CFO for more than a decade, will step down from the CFO role effective October 1, 2026. She will remain in a non-executive officer role through a transition period and then retire from the company.
During the transition, Ms. Meates will continue to receive her current base salary and remain eligible for a cash bonus for fiscal 2026. Her departure will be treated as a qualifying retirement for her outstanding equity awards. The Board has appointed Arun Kalra, 38, currently Director of Finance and a PJT employee since 2016, to succeed her as CFO, as detailed in an accompanying press release.
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8-K Event Classification
Key Figures
Key Terms
qualifying retirement financial
non-executive officer role financial
Inline XBRL technical
emerging growth company regulatory
FAQ
When will PJT (PJT) transition its Chief Financial Officer role?
What is happening with PJT (PJT) CFO Helen Meates?
Who is the new CFO of PJT (PJT) and what is his background?
How will PJT (PJT) treat Helen Meates’ equity awards at retirement?
Will PJT (PJT) CFO Helen Meates receive compensation during the transition?
How long will the CFO transition at PJT (PJT) last?
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
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Item 5.02. |
Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers. |
Helen Meates, Chief Financial Officer of PJT Partners Inc. (the “Company”), has informed the Company of her intention to step down from her role as Chief Financial Officer as of October 1, 2026 (the “Effective Date”). Following the Effective Date, Ms. Meates will remain at the Company in a non-executive officer role to assist with the transition of her responsibilities and retire from the Company following the conclusion of the transition period. Ms. Meates will continue to receive her base salary at its current rate during the transition period and will remain eligible to receive a cash bonus in respect of fiscal 2026. Following the conclusion of the transition period, Ms. Meates’ departure from the Company will constitute a qualifying retirement for purposes of her outstanding equity awards, the terms of which are described in the Company’s 2026 Proxy Statement.
The Company’s Board of Directors has appointed Arun Kalra to succeed Ms. Meates as the Company’s Chief Financial Officer effective as of the Effective Date.
Mr. Kalra, 38, currently the Company’s Director of Finance, has spent the last decade helping Ms. Meates build the global finance function of the Company, having joined the firm in 2016, initially as head of Financial Planning and Analysis. Prior to joining the Company, Mr. Kalra was a senior member of the compensation team at UBS AG. Mr. Kalra holds a BSc from the London School of Economics.
A press release announcing the transition of the Company's Chief Financial Officer role from Ms. Meates to Mr. Kalra, as described above, is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1.
Item 9.01. |
Financial Statements and Exhibits. |
(d) Exhibits.
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99.1 |
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Press release of PJT Partners Inc. issued on July 16, 2026. |
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The cover page of this Current Report on Form 8-K, formatted in Inline XBRL. |
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.
PJT Partners Inc. |
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/s/ David K.F. Gillis |
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Name: David K.F. Gillis |
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Title: Managing Director, Corporate Secretary |
Date: July 16, 2026
Exhibit 99.1
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PJT Partners Inc. Announces Chief Financial Officer Transition Arun Kalra, PJT Partners Director of Finance, to Become CFO Helen Meates to Step Down From Role After More Than a Decade With the Company |
New York, July 16, 2026: PJT Partners Inc. (the “Company” or “PJT Partners”) (NYSE: PJT) today announced the appointment of Arun Kalra as Chief Financial Officer, effective October 1, 2026. Mr. Kalra will succeed Helen Meates, who will step down as Chief Financial Officer of the Company after more than a decade in the role. Ms. Meates will stay on through year-end 2026 to ensure a seamless transition.
Mr. Kalra currently serves as Director of Finance at PJT Partners. He joined the Company in 2016 as Head of Financial Planning and Analysis and has worked closely with Ms. Meates across all aspects of PJT Partners' global finance function, taking on progressively broader responsibilities. Prior to joining PJT Partners, Mr. Kalra was a senior member of the compensation team at UBS. He holds a BSc from the London School of Economics.
“Helen has been an extraordinary partner in building PJT Partners since our earliest days, and we are deeply grateful for her contributions to our success," said Paul J. Taubman, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "We are fortunate to have a successor who shares the same standards of leadership, integrity, and commitment to excellence. Our Board of Directors and management team are highly confident that Arun is the right person to lead our finance function forward.”
“I am honored to have the opportunity to serve as CFO of PJT Partners and am grateful for the confidence shown in me,” said Mr. Kalra. “I look forward to helping sustain the firm’s significant momentum, building on the strong foundation that Helen has established over the past decade.”
“It has been a privilege to serve as CFO of PJT Partners while working alongside Paul and the broader team over the past decade,” said Ms. Meates. “Arun has been an essential member of our finance team from day one. I have complete confidence in his ability to assume these new responsibilities given his strong track record and dedication to the firm.”
About PJT Partners
PJT Partners is a premier, global, advisory-focused investment bank that was built from the ground up to be different. Our highly experienced, collaborative teams provide independent advice coupled with old-world, high-touch client service. This ethos has allowed us to attract some of the very best talent in the markets in which we operate. We deliver leading advice to many of the world's most consequential companies, effect some of the most transformative transactions and restructurings and raise billions of dollars of capital around the globe to support startups and more established companies. To learn more about PJT Partners, please visit our website at www.pjtpartners.com.
Media Relations: Jon Keehner Joele Frank, Wilkinson Brimmer Katcher Tel: +1 212.355.4449 PJT-JF@joelefrank.com |
Investor Relations: Sharon Pearson PJT Partners Inc. Tel: +1 212.364.7120 pearson@pjtpartners.com |