Berkshire Hathaway C-Suite Executive Leadership Team [2026]

Berkshire Hathaway is one of the world’s most distinctive conglomerates, built on disciplined capital allocation, long-term ownership, financial strength, and operational autonomy. Warren Buffett transformed the former textile business into a globally diversified holding company with major interests in insurance, rail transportation, energy, manufacturing, services, retailing, and publicly traded securities. Businesses such as GEICO, BNSF Railway, and Berkshire Hathaway Energy illustrate the scale and diversity of a portfolio designed to generate durable value rather than pursue short-term market expectations.

Berkshire’s strength also comes from a highly decentralized management model that gives subsidiary leaders substantial authority to operate their businesses independently. Greg Abel became President and Chief Executive Officer on January 1, 2026, succeeding Buffett, who continues as Chairman of the Board. Alongside Abel, senior leaders including Ajit Jain, Charles Chang, Michael O’Sullivan, Ted Weschler, Adam Johnson, and Nancy Pierce are guiding Berkshire through an important leadership transition while preserving its established culture and investment discipline. At DigitalDefynd, this article examines the executives and directors shaping Berkshire Hathaway’s strategy, capital allocation, operating performance, governance, and long-term succession.

Berkshire Hathaway Executive Leadership Team [Quick Overview]

#	Name	C-Suite	Key Responsibilities
1	Warren E. Buffett	Chairman of the Board and Former Chief Executive Officer	Leads the Board, supports Berkshire’s long-term culture and governance, and remains available to advise management on major business and capital-allocation matters. He no longer serves as CEO.
2	Gregory E. Abel	President and Chief Executive Officer	Leads Berkshire Hathaway’s overall operations, capital allocation, acquisition strategy, and decentralized operating model. He also directly oversees major non-insurance businesses, including BNSF, Berkshire Hathaway Energy, Pilot, McLane, and industrial and building-products companies.
3	Ajit Jain	Vice Chairman, Insurance Operations	Oversees Berkshire’s insurance and reinsurance operations, including the assessment and pricing of major and complex risks.
4	Charles C. Chang	Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer	Oversees Berkshire’s financial reporting, treasury, accounting, financial controls, and corporate finance functions. He succeeded Marc D. Hamburg as CFO on June 1, 2026.
5	Michael J. O’Sullivan	Senior Vice President and General Counsel	Leads Berkshire’s corporate legal function, including governance, litigation, regulatory matters, transactions, and legal risk management. His appointment created Berkshire’s first internal General Counsel position.
6	Daniel J. Jaksich	Vice President and Controller; Principal Accounting Officer	Oversees accounting policies, consolidated financial reporting, regulatory reporting, and the application of accounting standards across Berkshire’s decentralized operations.
7	Jo Ellen Rieck	Vice President, Taxes	Oversees Berkshire’s corporate tax strategy, compliance, planning, and reporting across its domestic and international businesses.
8	Ted Weschler	Investment Manager	Manages approximately 6% of Berkshire’s investments, including part of the portfolio previously overseen by Todd Combs, while contributing to major investment assessments and business evaluations.
9	Adam M. Johnson	President, Consumer Products, Service and Retailing Businesses; CEO of NetJets	Supports and oversees the CEOs of Berkshire’s consumer products, service, and retailing companies while continuing to lead NetJets.
10	Nancy L. Pierce	Chief Executive Officer, GEICO	Leads GEICO’s strategy and operations across underwriting, claims, pricing, product management, customer service, and technology. She replaced Todd Combs as CEO.
11	Howard G. Buffett	Director	Serves on the Board and contributes experience in business ownership, public-company leadership, philanthropy, and long-term stewardship.
12	Susan A. Buffett	Director	Contributes philanthropic, nonprofit-governance, and stakeholder perspectives through her leadership of major charitable foundations.
13	Stephen B. Burke	Director	Contributes experience in media, technology, consumer businesses, public-company leadership, and financial oversight.
14	Kenneth I. Chenault	Director	Brings extensive financial-services, corporate leadership, investment, governance, and public-board experience.
15	Christopher C. Davis	Director	Provides expertise in investment management, public markets, capital allocation, shareholder interests, and corporate governance.
16	Susan L. Decker	Director and Lead Independent Director	Coordinates the responsibilities of Berkshire’s independent directors and contributes expertise in finance, digital businesses, consumer markets, and public-company governance.
17	Charlotte Guyman	Director	Contributes technology-sector, corporate-leadership, healthcare-governance, and nonprofit-board experience.
18	Thomas S. Murphy Jr.	Director	Provides private-equity, investment-banking, financial analysis, and corporate-governance expertise.
19	Wallace R. Weitz	Director	Contributes extensive value-investing, public-markets, capital-allocation, and public-company board experience.
20	Meryl B. Witmer	Director	Provides investment-management, securities-analysis, risk-assessment, and shareholder-value expertise.

Berkshire Hathaway Executive Leadership Team [2026]

1. Warren E. Buffett – Chairman of the Board and Former Chief Executive Officer

Warren Buffett has shaped Berkshire Hathaway since acquiring control of the company in 1965. He served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer from 1970 through the end of 2025, transforming Berkshire from a struggling textile company into a diversified conglomerate spanning insurance, energy, rail transportation, manufacturing, services, retailing, and investments. His long-term value-investing philosophy, disciplined capital allocation, and preference for decentralized management became defining features of Berkshire’s operating culture.

Following the transition of the CEO role to Greg Abel, Buffett continues as Chairman of the Board. He remains active at Berkshire’s Omaha headquarters and advises management on insurance underwriting, operating businesses, equity investments, acquisitions, and major capital-allocation decisions. His experience, judgment, and position as Berkshire’s largest shareholder continue to provide continuity as the company enters its first leadership era under a CEO other than Buffett in more than five decades.

2. Gregory E. Abel – President and Chief Executive Officer

Greg Abel became Berkshire Hathaway’s President and Chief Executive Officer on January 1, 2026, succeeding Warren Buffett. Before assuming the top role, he served as Vice Chairman of Non-Insurance Operations from 2018 through 2025. Abel entered the Berkshire organization through MidAmerican Energy, now Berkshire Hathaway Energy, where he held several senior positions and served as Chief Executive Officer from 2008 to 2018.

As CEO, Abel directs Berkshire’s overall strategy, capital allocation, acquisition activity, risk management, and decentralized operating framework. He retains direct oversight of major businesses such as BNSF Railway, Berkshire Hathaway Energy, Pilot, McLane, and Berkshire’s industrial and building-products companies. Responsibility for equity investments ultimately rests with Abel, supported by investment manager Ted Weschler. His operational background and long association with Berkshire place him at the center of the company’s leadership succession, performance management, and long-term value-creation strategy.

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3. Ajit Jain – Vice Chairman, Insurance Operations

Ajit Jain oversees Berkshire Hathaway’s insurance and reinsurance operations, which form the financial foundation of the conglomerate. He joined the Berkshire Hathaway Insurance Group in 1986 and has served as Vice Chairman of Insurance Operations since 2018. His responsibilities cover the evaluation, pricing, and management of major risks across Berkshire’s insurance businesses, including GEICO, General Re, National Indemnity, and Berkshire Hathaway Reinsurance Group.

Jain is particularly recognized for underwriting large, unusual, and complex risks that few competing insurers are willing or able to assume. His disciplined approach to pricing and risk selection has generated substantial underwriting profits and insurance float that Berkshire can deploy into acquisitions, operating companies, and marketable securities. Alongside Greg Abel, Jain also plays an important role in assessing enterprise risks and preserving Berkshire’s conservative approach to balance-sheet strength, claims-paying capacity, and insurance capital.

4. Charles C. Chang – Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

Charles C. Chang became Berkshire Hathaway’s Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer on June 1, 2026, succeeding Marc D. Hamburg. He oversees consolidated financial reporting, accounting, treasury management, internal financial controls, corporate finance, and coordination with Berkshire’s independent auditors. Chang is also responsible for supporting the financial integration and oversight of Berkshire’s diverse subsidiaries while respecting the company’s decentralized management structure.

Chang previously served as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Berkshire Hathaway Energy, a position he assumed in October 2024. Before joining the Berkshire organization, he spent more than three decades at PricewaterhouseCoopers and became a partner in 2002. His experience included public-company reporting, audit matters, accounting standards, and mergers and acquisitions. Hamburg will assist Chang during the transition period before retiring from Berkshire in June 2027, helping preserve continuity across the company’s finance and reporting functions.

5. Michael J. O’Sullivan – Senior Vice President and General Counsel

Michael J. O’Sullivan joined Berkshire Hathaway as Senior Vice President and General Counsel on January 1, 2026. He leads Berkshire’s internal legal function and advises senior management on corporate governance, regulatory compliance, litigation, mergers and acquisitions, contracts, securities matters, and enterprise-level legal risks. The creation of the role gives Berkshire a senior in-house legal leader while allowing its operating subsidiaries to retain substantial autonomy over their own legal requirements.

O’Sullivan previously served as General Counsel of Snap Inc. from 2017, where he managed legal and regulatory matters for a global technology company. Earlier in his career, he practiced for more than two decades at Munger, Tolles & Olson, advising businesses on governance, litigation, and complex corporate transactions. His appointment strengthens Berkshire’s corporate infrastructure as the company navigates leadership succession, regulatory complexity, major acquisitions, and the governance demands of a conglomerate operating across numerous industries and jurisdictions.

6. Daniel J. Jaksich – Vice President and Controller; Principal Accounting Officer

Daniel Jaksich serves as Berkshire Hathaway’s Vice President and Controller and performs the responsibilities of Principal Accounting Officer for regulatory reporting. He oversees consolidated accounting, financial-statement preparation, accounting-policy implementation, and compliance with applicable reporting standards across Berkshire’s extensive network of subsidiaries.

Working closely with the Chief Financial Officer, subsidiary finance teams, internal auditors, and independent accountants, Jaksich helps ensure that financial information from Berkshire’s decentralized businesses is accurately consolidated at the corporate level. His role requires coordinating reporting across insurance, rail transportation, energy, manufacturing, services, and retail operations, each of which has distinct accounting requirements and business models. Jaksich also supports the evaluation of new accounting standards, acquisition-related reporting, internal controls, and disclosures submitted to shareholders and regulators.

7. Jo Ellen Rieck – Vice President, Taxes

Jo Ellen Rieck serves as Berkshire Hathaway’s Vice President responsible for corporate tax matters. She oversees tax planning, reporting, compliance, and risk management across Berkshire’s domestic and international operations. Her work encompasses federal, state, local, and cross-border tax requirements affecting a conglomerate with businesses in insurance, energy, transportation, manufacturing, services, and retailing.

Rieck coordinates with subsidiary finance and tax teams while maintaining consistency with Berkshire’s corporate tax policies and regulatory obligations. Her responsibilities include evaluating the tax implications of acquisitions, investments, internal reorganizations, capital deployment, and changes in tax legislation. She also supports financial-statement reporting for income taxes and helps manage interactions with tax authorities. The role is particularly important because Berkshire’s decentralized businesses operate through numerous legal entities and across multiple jurisdictions, creating complex compliance and reporting requirements.

8. Ted Weschler – Investment Manager

Ted Weschler is one of Berkshire Hathaway’s principal investment professionals. He joined the company in 2012 after managing Peninsula Capital Advisors and built a reputation for detailed research, patient capital deployment, and long-term investing. Weschler manages approximately 6% of Berkshire’s investments, including part of the portfolio previously overseen by Todd Combs.

His responsibilities extend beyond selecting and managing publicly traded securities. Weschler evaluates significant investment and acquisition opportunities, advises leadership on the competitive and financial position of operating businesses, and contributes to broader capital-allocation discussions. While Greg Abel holds ultimate responsibility for Berkshire’s equity investments as CEO, Weschler provides analytical support and independent investment judgment. His continued involvement helps Berkshire retain institutional investment expertise while transitioning from the portfolio-management structure that operated under Warren Buffett.

9. Adam M. Johnson – President, Consumer Products, Service and Retailing Businesses; CEO of NetJets

Adam Johnson serves as President of Berkshire Hathaway’s Consumer Products, Service and Retailing businesses while continuing as Chief Executive Officer of NetJets. In his expanded Berkshire role, he supports the leaders of approximately 32 operating businesses and helps strengthen operational performance, management development, customer service, and long-term strategic planning.

Johnson’s portfolio includes a wide range of independently managed companies serving consumers and commercial customers. Rather than centralizing their daily operations, he works with subsidiary CEOs on major challenges, investment requirements, leadership succession, and opportunities for sustainable growth. Johnson brings nearly three decades of experience at NetJets and more than a decade as its CEO. His appointment distributes oversight responsibilities previously concentrated under Greg Abel, allowing Abel to focus on enterprise-wide leadership while Johnson provides experienced operational guidance to Berkshire’s consumer, service, and retailing companies.

10. Nancy L. Pierce – Chief Executive Officer, GEICO

Nancy Pierce became Chief Executive Officer of GEICO in December 2025, succeeding Todd Combs. She leads one of Berkshire Hathaway’s largest and most strategically important insurance subsidiaries, with responsibility for underwriting, pricing, claims, product management, customer service, technology, regional operations, and organizational performance.

Pierce joined GEICO in 1986 and developed extensive experience across the insurer’s core operating functions before becoming Chief Operating Officer. Her long tenure gives her a detailed understanding of GEICO’s customers, distribution model, cost structure, workforce, and competitive position in the automobile insurance market. As CEO, she is responsible for improving underwriting discipline, maintaining effective pricing, modernizing technology, strengthening customer experience, and supporting profitable policy growth. Pierce works within Berkshire’s insurance leadership structure under Ajit Jain while retaining operational authority over GEICO’s day-to-day business.

11. Howard G. Buffett – Director

Howard Buffett has served on Berkshire Hathaway’s Board of Directors since 1993. He is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Howard G. Buffett Foundation, which supports humanitarian, food-security, conflict-mitigation, and conservation initiatives. His career also includes experience as a business owner, public-company executive, public-company director, farmer, author, and local public official.

At Berkshire, Buffett contributes to Board oversight, succession discussions, corporate culture, and long-term stewardship. He does not participate in the daily management of Berkshire’s operating companies, but his experience as a substantial long-term shareholder and member of the Buffett family provides an important ownership perspective. His business and philanthropic work also gives the Board insight into governance, organizational responsibility, international issues, and the management of large institutions with long-term missions.

12. Susan A. Buffett – Director

Susan Buffett has served on Berkshire Hathaway’s Board of Directors since 2021. She chairs both The Sherwood Foundation and The Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation, two major private grant-making foundations based in Omaha, and serves on the boards of several other charitable organizations.

Her experience leading large foundations provides Berkshire’s Board with expertise in governance, capital stewardship, organizational oversight, community engagement, and long-term decision-making. Susan contributes the perspective of a major shareholder family while remaining separate from the daily management of Berkshire’s businesses. Her Board responsibilities include reviewing corporate performance, leadership succession, risk, governance, and decisions that could affect Berkshire’s long-term interests. Her presence also supports continuity between Berkshire’s established culture and the expectations of shareholders who view the company as a permanent home for businesses and capital.

13. Stephen B. Burke – Director

Stephen Burke has served on Berkshire Hathaway’s Board of Directors since 2009. He was Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NBCUniversal from 2011 through 2020 and previously served as President of Comcast Cable. In 2020, he founded Madison Valley Partners, an investment firm focused on companies connected with the Rocky Mountain region and outdoor industries.

Burke contributes extensive experience in media, technology, consumer businesses, corporate finance, and the management of complex public companies. He also serves as a director of JPMorgan Chase, giving him additional exposure to financial services, risk oversight, and large-company governance. At Berkshire, Burke helps evaluate corporate strategy, management succession, capital allocation, enterprise risk, and the performance of businesses serving consumers. His operating background is particularly relevant to Berkshire’s diverse portfolio of media-related, service, retail, and consumer-facing companies.

14. Kenneth I. Chenault – Director

Kenneth Chenault has served on Berkshire Hathaway’s Board of Directors since 2020. He is Chairman and Managing Director of General Catalyst and previously served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of American Express. Chenault joined American Express in 1981 and held several senior leadership positions before becoming CEO in 2001, remaining in the role until 2018.

His experience provides Berkshire with expertise in financial services, customer relationships, brand management, technology-enabled business models, corporate strategy, and executive leadership. Chenault also serves as a director of Airbnb and has held board positions at several major public companies. At Berkshire, he contributes to discussions involving governance, organizational resilience, leadership development, innovation, risk management, and the oversight of large financial and consumer-oriented businesses. His long association with American Express is also relevant because the company remains one of Berkshire’s most significant long-term equity investments.

15. Christopher C. Davis – Director

Christopher Davis has served on Berkshire Hathaway’s Board of Directors since 2021. He has been Chairman of Davis Advisors since 1998 and also serves as a director of several investment funds associated with Davis Selected Advisers. His additional public-company directorships include The Coca-Cola Company and Graham Holdings.

Davis brings extensive experience in investment management, securities analysis, public markets, corporate governance, and the evaluation of long-term business value. His investment philosophy emphasizes durable competitive advantages, capable management, balance-sheet strength, and disciplined capital allocation, principles that closely align with Berkshire’s owner-oriented approach. As a director, Davis contributes to Board discussions involving investment risk, financial reporting, acquisitions, shareholder interests, and the performance of Berkshire’s public and private holdings. He also serves as a member of Berkshire’s Audit Committee, supporting oversight of financial statements, regulatory compliance, internal auditing, and independent auditors.

16. Susan L. Decker – Director and Lead Independent Director

Susan Decker has served on Berkshire Hathaway’s Board of Directors since 2007 and is the company’s Lead Independent Director. She is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Raftr and serves on the boards of Costco Wholesale, Vail Resorts, Chime, and Automattic. Decker previously held several senior positions at Yahoo!, including President and Chief Financial Officer.

As Lead Independent Director, Decker works with Berkshire’s Governance, Compensation and Nominating Committee to identify potential director candidates and advises the Board on its size and composition. She also chairs the Audit Committee and qualifies as an audit committee financial expert. Her background in finance, digital businesses, consumer markets, corporate strategy, and public-company governance supports Board oversight of financial reporting, succession, regulatory compliance, enterprise risk, and management accountability. Decker’s responsibilities have become particularly important as Berkshire separates the Chairman and CEO roles during its leadership transition.

17. Charlotte Guyman – Director

Charlotte Guyman has served on Berkshire Hathaway’s Board of Directors since 2003. She is a former Microsoft general manager and currently serves as a director of Landings Holdings and Nordstrom. She is also a trustee of Lakeside School and an adviser to the University of Washington’s Brotman Baty Institute for Precision Medicine.

Guyman contributes experience in technology, consumer markets, organizational leadership, healthcare governance, and nonprofit oversight. Her background as a senior technology executive helps the Board assess digital transformation, operational systems, changing customer expectations, and technology-related risks across Berkshire’s businesses. Her service as the former chair of a major academic medical center adds further experience in institutional governance, financial oversight, and complex stakeholder environments. As an independent director, Guyman participates in Board reviews of strategy, management performance, risk, succession, and the long-term interests of Berkshire shareholders.

18. Thomas S. Murphy Jr. – Director

Thomas Murphy Jr. has served on Berkshire Hathaway’s Board of Directors since 2022. He co-founded Crestview Partners in 2004 and has remained a partner of the private-equity firm. Before establishing Crestview, Murphy was a partner at Goldman Sachs, where he developed extensive experience in investment banking, corporate transactions, and financial analysis.

Murphy brings the Board expertise in acquisitions, private-equity investing, capital structures, business valuation, and the governance of privately held companies. His experience is relevant to Berkshire’s continuing search for major acquisitions and its ownership of independently managed subsidiaries across multiple industries. Murphy also serves on the boards of New York University, NYU Langone Health, the Inner-City Scholarship Fund, and several private companies. These roles add perspectives on institutional governance, leadership oversight, healthcare, education, and nonprofit management to his Berkshire responsibilities.

19. Wallace R. Weitz – Director

Wallace “Wally” Weitz has served on Berkshire Hathaway’s Board of Directors since 2022. He founded Weitz Investment Management in 1983 and has held several leadership positions at the firm. His investment approach focuses on fundamental research, intrinsic value, downside protection, and long-term ownership of high-quality businesses.

Weitz contributes extensive experience in public-company investing, securities valuation, portfolio risk, and capital allocation. He also serves on the Board of Cable One and several nonprofit organizations. At Berkshire, his investment background supports the Board’s evaluation of acquisitions, marketable securities, financial performance, and shareholder returns. Weitz is also a member of the Audit Committee, which oversees the integrity of Berkshire’s financial statements, internal auditing, regulatory compliance, cybersecurity risk reporting, and relationships with independent auditors. His owner-oriented perspective aligns closely with Berkshire’s emphasis on long-term per-share value rather than short-term market expectations.

20. Meryl B. Witmer – Director

Meryl Witmer has served on Berkshire Hathaway’s Board of Directors since 2013. She is a managing member of the general partner of Eagle Capital Partners, an investment partnership, and previously served as a general partner at Buchanan Parker Asset Management.

Witmer brings decades of experience in securities research, investment-fund management, company valuation, competitive analysis, and risk assessment. Her ability to evaluate businesses from the perspective of a long-term investor supports Board discussions involving acquisitions, portfolio holdings, capital deployment, financial performance, and shareholder value. Witmer also serves on Berkshire’s Audit Committee, contributing to oversight of financial statements, internal controls, regulatory compliance, independent auditing, and enterprise risk. Her analytical approach and investment-management background reinforce Berkshire’s emphasis on rational capital allocation, financial discipline, and owner-focused governance.

Conclusion

Berkshire Hathaway’s leadership reflects a rare combination of continuity, disciplined capital allocation, operational independence, and long-term judgment. With Greg Abel now serving as President and Chief Executive Officer and Warren Buffett continuing as Chairman of the Board, the company has completed one of the most carefully planned leadership transitions in corporate history. Senior executives such as Ajit Jain, Charles Chang, Michael O’Sullivan, Ted Weschler, Adam Johnson, and Nancy Pierce provide the operational, financial, legal, investment, and risk-management expertise needed to guide Berkshire’s diverse portfolio while preserving its decentralized culture.

The depth of Berkshire’s Board, supported by experienced investors, former chief executives, financial leaders, and governance specialists, further strengthens the company’s ability to oversee businesses spanning insurance, rail transportation, energy, manufacturing, services, and retailing. Berkshire’s leadership model demonstrates how trust, accountability, sound governance, and patient decision-making can support sustainable performance across generations. Professionals preparing for senior leadership roles can explore DigitalDefynd’s curated feature of C-suite and executive programs offered by leading global institutions such as MIT, Wharton, Oxford, Stanford, and Berkeley to strengthen their strategic thinking, financial judgment, innovation capabilities, and enterprise leadership skills.