New Leadership at Alight Inc. with Dave Guilmette Stepping into CEO Role

Alight Inc., a leading recordkeeping firm, has appointed Dave Guilmette as its new Chief Executive Officer. He will continue to serve as vice chair of the board, a role he assumed earlier this month after being named to the board in May as an independent director. This leadership change is part of Alight’s succession plan, following Stephan Scholl’s decision to step down as CEO and board member. Scholl will, however, remain with the company in an advisory capacity for the next six months.

Guilmette’s appointment comes on the heels of significant strategic shifts within the company, including the recent $1.2 billion sale of Alight’s payroll and professional services segment to an H.I.G. Capital affiliate. This move aligns with Alight’s aim to bring in a CEO with extensive experience in the benefits industry, positioning the company for its next phase of growth.

Guilmette expressed his enthusiasm for his new role, noting that the recent technological advancements and divestitures have positioned Alight for a stronger financial future. Before joining Alight, he led Global Health Solutions at Aon, where he focused on growth and profitability. Alight emphasized Guilmette’s strong background in innovation, large-scale solution development, and commercial partnerships as key reasons for his selection.

William Foley, chair of Alight’s board, remarked on Guilmette’s deep involvement with the executive team, stating that his familiarity with the company would ensure a smooth leadership transition. Foley also highlighted that Guilmette had worked closely with Scholl in preparing for this transition.

Reflecting on his tenure, Scholl expressed pride in the strides Alight had made under his leadership, particularly in becoming a more streamlined and capital-efficient organization. He thanked the employees for their dedication and expressed confidence in Guilmette’s ability to lead the company forward.

With his new responsibilities, Guilmette stepped down from the board’s audit committee. Scholl’s departure reduces the board’s size to 10 directors. The company also reaffirmed its positive business outlook for the latter half of 2024.

Foley reiterated that the board had been focused on succession planning for months, and Guilmette’s appointment is the culmination of those efforts. He expressed confidence that Guilmette would successfully lead Alight into its next chapter following the company’s major milestones, including its recent technological and business transformations.

Earlier this year, activist hedge fund Starboard Value LP had advocated for changes in Alight’s leadership, nominating four directors to the board. However, these nominations were withdrawn after a cooperation agreement with the company. In May, Alight added two new independent directors to the board, one of whom was Guilmette. As of May, Starboard owned 7.2% of Alight’s common stock.

According to PLANSPONSOR’s 2024 Recordkeeping Survey, Alight is the third-largest defined contribution recordkeeper, following Fidelity and Empower in both assets and participants.

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