13 years later, Keysight appoints Jason Kary as CFO
Keysight Technologies has tapped long-time finance executive Jason Kary to replace CFO Neil Dougherty, who is stepping down for personal reasons. The company has left its fiscal fourth-quarter outlook unchanged ahead of results on November 19.
- Jason Kary appointed CFO from December 18, 2026
- Neil Dougherty to remain in an advisory role through fiscal 2027
- Keysight retains its existing fiscal Q4 2026 outlook
- Electronic Industrial Solutions Group to move under Kailash Narayanan
- CFO compensation arrangements remain undecided
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Keysight Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:KEYS) is changing chief financial officers after 13 years, but the handover comes with an unusually deep internal bench and no immediate change to its financial outlook. Jason Kary, a former treasurer and investor-relations chief who currently runs the Electronic Industrial Solutions Group, will take over from Neil Dougherty on December 18, 2026.
Internal Finance Veteran Takes Over
Dougherty notified the company of his decision to step down for personal reasons, according to the announcement, which said the departure was not the result of a disagreement over Keysight’s operations, policies or practices. He will remain with the business in an advisory and transition capacity through the end of fiscal 2027.
Kary brings a long history with the company and its predecessors. He served as vice-president, treasurer and head of investor relations from 2013 until November 2024, before becoming president of the Electronic Industrial Solutions Group. His earlier finance roles included serving as group CFO of Agilent’s US$1.6 billion Life Sciences Group.
Segment Leadership Will Also Shift
Following Kary’s appointment, the Electronic Industrial Solutions Group will report to Kailash Narayanan, president of the Communications Solutions Group. Keysight said the industrial division will remain a separately reported financial segment, meaning the CFO transition is also accompanied by a management change within one of the company’s operating businesses.
Fourth-Quarter Outlook Remains Intact
Keysight said it is not updating its previously issued outlook for fiscal fourth-quarter 2026. The company described demand across its end markets as strong and said it continues to execute as planned, but the announcement did not provide new financial figures or guidance ranges.
That leaves the November 19 release of results for the quarter ended October 31 as the first major checkpoint for the incoming CFO’s tenure. The company has not yet determined changes to the compensation arrangements of either Kary or Dougherty, with that information to be disclosed later.
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Bottom Line?
The succession looks orderly on paper, but the November 19 results and Kary’s early approach to capital allocation will give investors the first evidence of continuity beyond the title change.
Questions in the middle?
- Will Keysight’s fiscal fourth-quarter results support its unchanged outlook when released on November 19?
- How will the company’s capital allocation and financial priorities evolve under Kary’s leadership?
- What compensation arrangements will be set for the incoming CFO and Dougherty’s advisory role?
Sources
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Departure/Election of Directors or Officers; Compensatory Arrangements (opens in a new tab)Official market announcement. SEC filing · Keysight Technologies, Inc. · 2 Nov 2026 · sec.gov
