Universal appoints Gregory R. Friedman to board
Friedman is expected to serve on the Audit Committee, the Nominating, Governance and Risk Committee, and the Finance and Pension Investment Committee.
Sentiment and the balance of points
Rhea-AI Sentiment reads the wording of the document, how positive or negative its language is on a 1 to 5 scale. The balance of points shown with the takes weighs what the document actually discloses, so the two can disagree, for example when a trial that missed its main goal is described in upbeat language.
Rhea-AI Filing Summary
Universal Corporation (UVV) appointed Gregory R. Friedman to its Board of Directors effective November 4, 2026, and increased the Board’s size to 10 members. The Board determined that Friedman qualifies as an independent director under New York Stock Exchange listing standards and the company’s Corporate Governance Guidelines.
Friedman brings more than 30 years of financial, operational and strategic leadership experience. Most recently, he served as Chief Financial Officer of Mura Technology; previously, he was Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Corteva.
8-K Event Classification
Key Figures
Key Terms
independent director regulatory
capital structure financial
capital allocation financial
FAQ
AI-generated questions and answers. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.
Which committees is Gregory R. Friedman expected to join at UVV?
AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM
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)
(State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation)
| (Commission File Number) |
(IRS Employer Identification No.) |
| (Address of Principal Executive Offices) | (Zip code) |
(Registrant’s Telephone Number, Including Area Code)
Not Applicable
(Former Name or Former Address, if Changed Since Last Report)
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 (see General Instruction A.2. below):
| Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425) |
| Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12) |
| Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b)) |
| Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c)) |
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
| Title of each class |
Trading Symbol(s) |
Name of each exchange on which registered | ||
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 4, 2026, the Board of Directors (the “Board”) of Universal Corporation (the “Company”) increased the size of the Board to 10 members and appointed Gregory R. Friedman to serve as a new director of the Company, both effective immediately. The Board has determined that Mr. Friedman qualifies as an independent director in accordance with the New York Stock Exchange Listing Standards and the Company’s Corporate Governance Guidelines. Mr. Friedman is expected to serve as a member of the Audit Committee, the Nominating, Governance and Risk Committee and the Finance and Pension Investment Committee.
Mr. Friedman’s compensation will be consistent with the compensation policies applicable to the Company’s other non-employee directors, which are described under “Director Compensation” in the Company’s proxy statement for its 2026 Annual Meeting of Shareholders (filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on July 1, 2026). There are no arrangements or understandings between Mr. Friedman and any other person pursuant to which he was selected as a director, and there are no transactions between Mr. Friedman and the Company that would require disclosure under Item 404(a) of Regulation S-K.
| Item 7.01 | Regulation FD Disclosure. |
On November 4, 2026, the Company issued a press release regarding the appointment of Mr. Friedman. A copy of this release is furnished as Exhibit 99.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K.
In accordance with General Instruction B.2 of Form 8-K, the information in this Item 7.01 of this Current Report on Form 8-K, including Exhibit 99.1, shall not be deemed “filed” for the purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section, nor shall either be deemed incorporated by reference in any filing under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Exchange Act, except as shall be expressly set forth by specific references in such a filing.
| Item 9.01 | Financial Statements and Exhibits. |
| (d) | Exhibits |
| 99.1 | Press Release, dated November 4, 2026. | |
| 104 | Cover Page Interactive Data File (formatted as Inline XBRL and contained in Exhibit 101). | |
SIGNATURES
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.
| UNIVERSAL CORPORATION | ||||||
| Date: November 4, 2026 | By: | /s/ Catherine H. Claiborne | ||||
| Catherine H. Claiborne | ||||||
| Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary | ||||||
Exhibit 99.1
P.O. Box 25099 Richmond, VA 23260 ~ phone: (804) 359-9311 ~ fax (804) 254-3584
PRESS RELEASE
| CONTACT |
RELEASE | |||
| Universal Corporation Investor Relations | 4:15 p.m. | |||
| Phone: (804) 359-9311 | ||||
| Fax: (804) 254-3584 | ||||
| Email: investor@universalleaf.com | ||||
Universal Corporation Announces Appointment of Gregory R. Friedman to
Board of Directors
Richmond, Va • November 4, 2026 / BUSINESSWIRE
Universal Corporation (NYSE: UVV), a global business-to-business agriproducts company, today announced the appointment of Gregory R. Friedman to its Board of Directors (the “Board”), effective November 4, 2026.
Mr. Friedman brings more than 30 years of financial, operational, and strategic leadership experience across global businesses to Universal. Most recently, he served as Chief Financial Officer of Mura Technology, an international plastic recycling technology company. Previously, Mr. Friedman served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Corteva, Inc. (NYSE: CTVA), a global agriculture company, where he helped lead the company through its separation from DowDuPont and establishment as an independent publicly traded company, and played a key role in shaping its capital structure, financial policy, and investment priorities.
Earlier in his career, Mr. Friedman held several senior financial leadership roles at DuPont (NYSE: DD), including Vice President, Investor Relations and Chief Financial Officer of DuPont Pioneer, DuPont’s agricultural seed business, deepening his understanding of global agriculture and experience with global food ingredients, capital and financial markets. He also previously served on the Board of Directors of Radius Recycling (NASDAQ: RDUS), serving on its Audit and Compensation and Human Resources Committees, adding public company governance to his financial and agricultural background.
“We are delighted to welcome Greg to our Board,” said Preston D. Wigner, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Universal. “Throughout his career, Greg has helped companies pursue meaningful growth opportunities and turn them into results. His deep understanding of global agriculture, combined with his expertise in capital allocation, financial markets and corporate governance, will bring valuable perspective as we continue to advance our strategic priorities and create long-term value for our shareholders.”
“Universal has a strong foundation rooted in its leadership in global agriculture and longstanding customer and supplier relationships,” said Mr. Friedman. “I look forward to working with the Board to support Universal’s focus on operational excellence, growth, and continued success across its tobacco and ingredients businesses.”
About Universal Corporation
Universal Corporation (NYSE: UVV) is a global agricultural company with over 100 years of experience supplying products and innovative solutions to meet our customers’ evolving needs and precise specifications. Through our diverse network of farmers and partners across more than 30 countries on five continents, we are a trusted provider of high-quality, traceable products. We leverage our extensive supply chain expertise, global reach, integrated processing capabilities, and commitment to sustainability to provide a range of products and services designed to drive efficiency and deliver value to our customers. For more information, visit www.universalcorp.com.
# # #
2