AllianceBernstein CEO Seth Bernstein to Retire; Onur Erzan Named Successor
EQH sits 49% above its 52-week low of $35.195.
Summary
Equitable Holdings announced that AllianceBernstein CEO Seth Bernstein will retire effective March 31, 2027, with President Onur Erzan succeeding him as CEO on April 1, 2027. The 8-K also reported annual meeting voting results, including re-election of all nine directors and ratification of PwC as auditor.
Key Events · Executive and Board Changes · EQH
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AllianceBernstein CEO Succession Announced
Seth Bernstein will retire as CEO of AllianceBernstein and Head of Asset Management at Equitable Holdings effective March 31, 2027. Onur Erzan, currently AB's President, will become President and CEO effective April 1, 2027.
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Successor Compensation Package
Onur Erzan's 2027 total compensation target is $13.5 million, comprising a $650,000 base salary, $5.8 million cash bonus, $3.45 million in AB ICAP units, $2.35 million in EQH equity, and $1.25 million amortized value of his 2025 restricted AB Holding Unit award.
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Retiring CEO Retention Terms
Bernstein receives a $2.5 million restricted AB Holding Unit grant vesting over three years, a $1.0 million 2026 EQH LTIP award payable in Q2 2027, and 26 weeks of salary continuation totaling $325,000, conditioned on compliance with restrictive covenants and transition assistance.
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Annual Meeting Voting Results
All nine director nominees were elected with over 234 million votes each; PwC was ratified as independent auditor with 241.4 million votes for; and the advisory say-on-pay resolution passed with 235.6 million votes for.
Analysis · EQH · Finance
Equitable Holdings disclosed a planned leadership transition at its majority-owned asset management subsidiary, AllianceBernstein. Seth Bernstein will retire as CEO effective March 31, 2027, and Onur Erzan, currently AB's President, will take over as President and CEO on April 1, 2027. The transition is orderly and well-telegraphed — Erzan has been President since January 2026 — but it removes a long-tenured leader at a critical moment, as Equitable is integrating its Corebridge Financial merger. The filing also confirms annual meeting results: all nine directors were re-elected, PwC was ratified as auditor, and say-on-pay passed with strong support.
How filings like this one have moved
In the 30 days to Oct 2, 2026, 29.9% of the 1656 measured filings Wiseek scored 7 moved their stock by 5% or more by the next session's close. The median move was -0.57%. These are measured outcomes after filings of this importance, not a forecast for this one.
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At the time of this filing, EQH was trading at $52.61 on NYSE in the Finance sector, with a market capitalization of approximately $14.4B. The 52-week trading range was $35.20 to $55.06. This filing was assessed with neutral market sentiment and an importance score of 7 out of 10.