Alexandra Brooks named FIS interim CFO as James Kehoe steps down

By Tom Whitfield

FIS will replace Chief Financial Officer James Kehoe on November 5, 2026, one day after its November 4 announcement, naming Alexandra Brooks interim CFO while searching for a permanent successor.

FIS (NYSE: FIS), the Jacksonville, Fla.-based global financial-technology company, said Kehoe, who joined FIS in 2023, will leave the CFO post but remain a non-executive senior advisor through March 2027 to support an orderly transfer of responsibilities. He will also join the third-quarter 2026 earnings call on November 4, as planned.

What changes on November 5?

FIS appointed Alexandra Brooks interim CFO effective November 5. Brooks, the company’s Executive Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer, will keep the accounting role and work closely with Stephanie Ferris, FIS Chief Executive Officer and President. She previously served as CFO of Hertz Global Holdings Inc.

CEO Stephanie Ferris said: “Alex is a former public company CFO who knows our business, our controls and our finance team well, which makes her uniquely qualified to immediately step into the role of interim CFO.”

She said the appointment provides continuity and stability during the search and that the finance organization is well equipped to execute strategic and financial priorities. Those are management assurances, not measured outcomes.

The handover gives FIS an interim chief with prior public-company CFO experience. It also places one executive over both accounting and CFO duties. The announcement does not specify how Brooks will divide the two roles, leaving the control and reporting workload unclear.

The immediate financial test is continuity: reporting, controls, cash generation and capital allocation should not slip during the interim period. Those outcomes depend on execution, which the announcement does not measure.

The handover is firm on timing, but open on workload and duration.

Why is Kehoe leaving?

FIS gave no personal reason for Kehoe’s departure and disclosed no terms tied to his exit. CEO Stephanie Ferris thanked him for contributions since 2023, crediting his work through the Worldpay exit, the Issuer Solutions acquisition, a sharper focus on disciplined capital allocation and cash generation.

Kehoe said: “I want to thank Stephanie, the Board and my colleagues across FIS for the opportunity to be part of this team over the past three years,” and added: “FIS is well positioned for its next chapter, and I look forward to working with Alex and the finance team to ensure a seamless transition.”

His words support management’s transition narrative, but they do not establish who will replace him permanently or when. The March 2027 date applies to his advisory service; FIS did not present it as the search deadline.

The announcement supports an orderly exit, but it does not explain the departure.

Who becomes the permanent CFO?

The board and CEO have initiated what FIS calls a comprehensive search and will consider internal and external candidates. The company named no permanent candidates and gave no decision date, selection criteria or terms for the appointment.

Until the board names a successor, Brooks will oversee the finance function under an interim structure. That arrangement supports continuity, but it does not complete the succession.

The process is open, but no choice or deadline is yet visible.

What do the third-quarter results show?\n

FIS also announced third-quarter 2026 results separately. The CFO announcement did not disclose revenue, earnings, margin, cash flow, guidance or outlook figures, so the personnel announcement alone cannot be used to assess the quarter or the finance priorities Ferris described.

Kehoe’s scheduled participation in the earnings call provides a forum to explain the handover, but the announcement set no performance targets for the interim period.

The separately released results, rather than this personnel announcement, will carry the financial evidence.

For now, Brooks holds the interim role, Kehoe supports the handover through March 2027, and the permanent succession and timetable remain unresolved.