Memorial Hermann CEO Will Retire at End of 2026
David Callender will step down as leader of the Houston-based health system after seven years in the position.
Updated on Sept. 28, 2026 in Healthcare
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Memorial Hermann Health System CEO David Callender announced plans to retire at the end of 2026. Alec H. King, currently the organization's executive vice president and chief financial officer, will succeed him.
Why it matters
The leadership change arrives after a period of significant growth for the system and follows a recent organizational recovery effort involving the reactivation of its abdominal transplant program.
Memorial Hermann reported annual revenue of 8.5 billion dollars in 2025, up from 2.9 billion dollars in 2011. During the fiscal year ending June 2025, CEO David Callender received total compensation of approximately 6 million dollars.
The players
David L. Callender
He has served as the CEO of Memorial Hermann Health System since 2019 and previously led the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston.
Alec H. King
He is the current executive vice president and chief financial officer of Memorial Hermann who has been named as the incoming CEO.
J. Stevenson Bynon
He is a physician currently facing five federal charges of making false statements in healthcare matters.
The details
The board selected Alec H. King to lead the health system as part of a deliberate internal succession strategy. The system recently navigated federal regulatory scrutiny regarding its abdominal transplant program, which resumed operations in April 2025 following corrective action.
Timeline
2019: David L. Callender became CEO of Memorial Hermann.
April 2025: The abdominal transplant program was reactivated.
June 2025: The system concluded its fiscal year.
End of 2026: David L. Callender will retire from the health system.
Market Landscape
This leadership transition follows the 2024 inactivation of the Memorial Hermann abdominal transplant program and subsequent regulatory remediation efforts. The appointment of an internal successor suggests a priority on organizational continuity following the recent period of intense federal scrutiny.
Patients and community members should not expect changes to standard operations during the multi-year succession process. The system intends for the transition to maintain stability in service delivery and financial oversight.
The takeaway
Internal executive transitions are often used by large health systems to minimize disruption during periods of regulatory or financial change. Stakeholders may look to the incoming leadership for signals on the organization's long-term strategy regarding transplant services and system growth.
Further reading
For more information on regional medical developments, visit the Healthcare section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Houston Chronicle.
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