Fahmi Karam

Chief Executive Officer Upbound Group

Last Reviewed: September 29, 2026

Executive Summary

Fahmi Karam has been Chief Executive Officer and a director of Upbound Group since 1 June 2025. Upbound is the Plano, Texas, company formerly called Rent-A-Center, and it owns the Rent-A-Center and Acima lease-to-own businesses and, since January 2025, Brigit, a subscription financial health technology offering. Karam reached the top job from finance. He joined as chief financial officer in October 2022, after serving as CFO of Santander Consumer USA and spending 12 years in J.P. Morgan’s investment banking division. The company cites his 25 years in strategy, operations and finance.

Career Highlights

• Chief Executive Officer and director of Upbound Group since 1 June 2025.
• Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Upbound from 31 October 2022. He kept the CFO duties for five months after becoming CEO, until Hal Khouri took them over in November 2025.
• Chief Financial Officer of Santander Consumer USA. Before that he was its Head of Pricing and Analytics and its Executive Vice President, Strategy and Corporate Development.
• Twelve years in J.P. Morgan’s investment banking division.
• Began his career in audit and assurance at Deloitte. He is a Certified Public Accountant.
• Board member of City Year Dallas.

Professional Journey

Karam studied at Baylor University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree and a Master of Accountancy, and he began his career in audit and assurance services at Deloitte. He then spent 12 years in J.P. Morgan’s investment banking division.

He then moved to Santander Consumer USA. There he held senior roles as Head of Pricing and Analytics and as Executive Vice President, Strategy and Corporate Development, before becoming its Chief Financial Officer.

Upbound named him Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer effective 31 October 2022. The company, formerly Rent-A-Center, reports its business in two segments, Rent-A-Center and Acima Leasing. In January 2025 Upbound completed its acquisition of Brigit, adding a subscription financial health app.

On 1 June 2025 he succeeded Mitchell Fadel as Chief Executive Officer and joined the board. For the first months he did both jobs, as CEO and CFO, until Hal Khouri, formerly CFO of goeasy, joined as CFO in November 2025. In September 2026 Upbound appointed Scott Young, a former PayPal and Goldman Sachs executive, as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, reporting directly to Karam.

Outside the company, he sits on the board of City Year Dallas.

Education

Baylor University

Bachelor’s degree and Master of Accountancy. Certified Public Accountant.