8-K

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of report (Date of earliest event reported): January 20, 2026

Universal Corporation

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Virginia	001-00652	54-0414210
(State or other jurisdiction<br>of incorporation)	(Commission<br> <br>File Number)	(IRS Employer<br> <br>Identification No.)
9201 Forest Hill Avenue<br> <br>Richmond, Virginia	23235
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(Address of principal executive offices)	(Zip Code)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (804) 359-9311

Not applicable

(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

☐	Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)
☐	Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)
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☐	Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))
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☐	Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))
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Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Title of each class	Trading<br>Symbol(s)	Name of each exchange<br>on which registered
Common stock, no par value	UVV	New York Stock Exchange

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).

Emerging growth company ☐

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

Item 5.02.	Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers.

As previously disclosed, Johan C. Kroner notified Universal Corporation (the “Company”) of his intention to retire as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of the Company, effective on July 1, 2026. On January 20, 2026, the Board of Directors (the “Board”) of the Company elected Anubhav Mittal as the Company’s Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, effective February 17, 2026 (the “Effective Date”). Mr. Kroner will step down as the Company’s Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer as of the Effective Date, but to support a smooth transition of leadership, Mr. Kroner will remain with the Company as a Senior Vice President until the effective date of his retirement.

Mr. Mittal, age 50, has served as Archer Daniels Midland Company’s (“ADM”) Global Head of Business Development and M&A and as CFO of ADM Nutrition, a global nutrition, flavors, and ingredients business, since December 2023. From October 2021 through November 2023, Mr. Mittal served as CFO of ADM’s Global Pet Solutions business and as Vice President of Global Corporate Development and M&A. Before joining ADM in December 2016, Mr. Mittal spent four years at the Kellogg Company in senior global finance, corporate development and strategy roles. Mr. Mittal holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a Bachelor of Technology in Mechanical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur.

In connection with his election as the Company’s Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Mr. Mittal’s (i) annual base salary will be $650,000, (ii) annual target bonus opportunity will be $500,000 and (iii) beginning in May 2026, annual long-term incentive equity awards will be targeted at $850,000. In addition, on the Effective Date, Mr. Mittal will receive a one-time grant of restricted stock units (“RSUs”) under the Company’s shareholder-approved 2023 Stock Incentive Plan equal to approximately $2 million based on the volume-weighted average price from December 19, 2025 to February 16, 2026. One-third of the RSUs will vest on May 19, 2026, May 19, 2027, and May 19, 2028, respectively, subject to Mr. Mittal’s continued employment with the Company through the applicable vesting date. The RSUs will earn dividend equivalent units during the respective vesting periods and only vest when the underlying RSU awards vest. Finally, on the Effective Date, Mr. Mittal will also receive a special one-time signing bonus of $600,000, which is subject to repayment in full if Mr. Mittal voluntarily resigns or his employment is terminated for cause within the first 24 months of the Effective Date.

There are no arrangements or understandings between Mr. Mittal and any other person pursuant to which Mr. Mittal was selected as an officer, and Mr. Mittal does not have a family relationship with any of the Company’s directors or executive officers. Additionally, neither Mr. Mittal nor any member of his immediate family has a direct or indirect material interest in any transaction required to be disclosed pursuant to Item 404(a) of Regulation S-K.

Item 7.01.	Regulation FD Disclosure.

On January 21, 2026, the Company issued a press release announcing the election of Mr. Mittal. A copy of this release is furnished as Exhibit 99.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K and is incorporated by reference into this Item 7.01.

In accordance with General Instruction B.2 of Form 8-K, the information in this Item 7.01 of this Current Report on Form 8-K, including Exhibit 99.1, shall not be deemed “filed” for the purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section, nor shall it be deemed incorporated by reference in any filing under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Exchange Act, except as shall be expressly set forth by specific reference in such a filing.

Item 9.01.	Financial Statements and Exhibits.

(d) Exhibits

No.	Description
99.1	Press release dated January 21, 2026, announcing the election of Anubhav Mittal as Chief Financial Officer
104	Cover Page Interactive Data File (formatted as Inline XBRL and contained in Exhibit 101)

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

	UNIVERSAL CORPORATION
Date: January 21, 2026	By:	/s/ Catherine H. Claiborne
		Catherine H. Claiborne
		Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary

EX-99.1

Exhibit 99.1

P.O. Box 25099 Richmond, VA 23260 ~ phone: (804) 359-9311 ~ fax (804) 254-3584

PRESS RELEASE

CONTACT RELEASE

Universal Corporation Investor Relations                 4:15 p.m.

Phone: (804) 359-9311

Fax:    (804) 254-3584

Email: investor@universalleaf.com

Universal Corporation Appoints Anubhav Mittal as Chief Financial Officer

Mittal Brings Extensive Financial, Business, Strategy, and Leadership Experience

Richmond, VA • January 21, 2026 / BUSINESSWIRE

Universal Corporation (NYSE: UVV) (“Universal” or the “Company”), a leading global business-to-business agriproducts company, today announced the appointment of Anubhav Mittal as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (“CFO”), effective February 17, 2026. Mr. Mittal’s appointment reflects the successful culmination of the Company’s previously announced CFO search process.

Mr. Mittal brings 20 years of experience in finance, corporate strategy, and business transformation across global, publicly traded consumer products, agriculture, and ingredients businesses to Universal. Most recently, he served as CFO of ADM Nutrition, Archer Daniels Midland Company’s (“ADM”) approximately $8 billion global nutrition, flavors, and ingredients business, overseeing financial strategy, portfolio management, and growth initiatives across a multi-geography operating footprint. Mr. Mittal also previously served as CFO of ADM’s Global Pet Solutions business and as ADM’s Global Head of Business Development and M&A, where he led significant organic and acquisitive growth initiatives. Before joining ADM, Mr. Mittal spent four years at the Kellogg Company in senior global finance, corporate development, and strategy roles.

“Anubhav joins Universal as a proven finance executive and global business leader with a strong track record of strategic execution and value creation,” said Preston D. Wigner, Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer of Universal. “His deep finance experience, international experience, and corporate strategy expertise in public company environments make him a strong leader for our talented global finance organization. Anubhav’s background in consumer products, large-scale global agriculture, and food ingredients will also support our corporate strategies with our tobacco and ingredients businesses. We are excited to welcome him to Universal.”

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Universal Corporation

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“I am honored to join Universal at an exciting time for the Company,” Mr. Mittal stated. “Universal has a strong foundation for growth and a well-defined strategy in place to advance momentum across its business segments. I look forward to working with Preston, the executive team, the Board of Directors, and the talented global finance organization to help Universal deliver meaningful value for our shareholders and other stakeholders.”

As previously announced, Johan C. Kroner will retire from his role as CFO effective February 17, 2026, and will remain a Senior Vice President of the Company until July 1, 2026, serving as an advisor to Mr. Wigner and supporting a smooth CFO transition with Mr. Mittal.

Mr. Wigner stated, “I deeply appreciate Johan’s continued support during his tenure and wish him all the best in his well-deserved retirement.”

About Anubhav Mittal

Mr. Mittal is an accomplished global business leader with 20 years of experience driving financial performance and corporate strategy for large-scale consumer products, specialty ingredients, and agricultural businesses. He most recently served as CFO of ADM Nutrition, an approximately $8 billion business segment of ADM, where he led corporate development, strategy, finance, long-term planning, portfolio management, and organic growth initiatives. Previously, he served as CFO of ADM’s Global Pet Solutions business, overseeing both B2B and B2C operations, and as ADM’s Global Head of Business Development and M&A.

Earlier in his career, Mr. Mittal held senior roles in strategy, finance, and corporate development at the Kellogg Company, guiding execution for an approximately $9 billion business, and at Booz & Company, specializing in strategy and operations. He began his career at Unilever in India and also held public sector leadership roles with the Government of India.

Mr. Mittal holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a Bachelor of Technology in Mechanical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur.

About Universal Corporation

Universal Corporation (NYSE: UVV) is a global agricultural company with over 100 years of experience supplying products and innovative solutions to meet our customers’ evolving needs and precise specifications. Through our diverse network of farmers and partners across more than 30 countries on five continents, we are a trusted provider of high-quality, traceable products. We leverage our extensive supply chain expertise, global reach, integrated processing capabilities, and commitment to sustainability to provide a range of products and services designed to drive efficiency and deliver value to our customers. For more information, visit www.universalcorp.com.