Sallie Mae announced on April 27, 2026 that Peter Graham will serve as Chief Financial Officer and Kerri Palmer will serve as Chief Operating Officer, with both executives taking on the role of co‑presidents. The board of directors formally appointed Graham and Palmer on April 22, 2026, and the company disclosed the appointments in a public announcement five days later.
Peter Graham has been Sallie Mae’s CFO since October 2023 and previously held CFO positions at PRA Group and GE. Kerri Palmer has led the company’s banking operations as COO and President of Sallie Mae Bank since January 2023, and before that served as Chief Risk Officer at Sallie Mae and Senior Vice President of Risk Management at Capital One. Their combined experience spans finance, risk, and operations in the financial services sector.
The dual‑president structure follows the retirement of the Chief Commercial Officer and is intended to align financial and operational priorities while strengthening strategic execution and leadership continuity. By pairing a CFO with a COO, the company aims to integrate capital allocation decisions with day‑to‑day operational execution, ensuring that growth initiatives are supported by disciplined financial oversight.
Sallie Mae reported strong financial results for the first quarter of fiscal 2026 and raised its full‑year guidance. CEO Jon Witter said, "Pete and Kerri are exceptional leaders with deep experience who are helping drive our strong performance and disciplined growth strategy. As CEO, I remain fully focused on leading the company, and these appointments will further strengthen our ability to execute our strategy with depth and continuity as we deliver for our customers and shareholders."
The company is a leader in private student lending, and its valuation metrics reflect a solid position: a price‑to‑earnings ratio of 6.63 and a GF Score™ of 80 out of 100, indicating strong overall performance and potential undervaluation. The appointments signal Sallie Mae’s commitment to sustaining growth and maintaining a robust operational framework as it navigates a competitive lending landscape.
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