David Kennedy
Summary
David Kennedy is a longtime Dell finance executive who became Dell Technologies' permanent chief financial officer on November 24, 2025, after serving briefly as interim CFO.
Biography
David Kennedy joined Dell in 1998 after graduating from the University of Limerick and has spent most of his career in the company's finance organization. His roles have included senior vice president and chief financial officer of Dell's Client Solutions Group, chief operating officer for Global Sales, and senior vice president of Global Business Operations and Finance. He has also held sales, business-unit, and international leadership roles, including more than a decade working in Ireland and India. Kennedy became interim CFO on September 9, 2025, following Yvonne McGill's departure, and was appointed permanent CFO effective November 24, 2025. In the role, he oversees accounting, financial planning and analysis, tax, treasury, investor relations, corporate development, Global Business Operations, and Dell Financial Services. His tenure as permanent CFO is relatively short, but his nearly three decades inside Dell give him extensive knowledge of its operations and financial processes.
Notable achievements
- Built a nearly three-decade career at Dell by moving through finance, sales, international, and business-unit leadership roles.
- Served as CFO of Dell's Client Solutions Group, giving him experience with the company's PC and client-products business.
- Led Global Business Operations and Finance before becoming interim and then permanent CFO.
- Oversaw the finance organization during Dell's transition toward higher demand for AI servers and infrastructure.
- Supported Dell's reported record fiscal 2026 third-quarter and full-year results during his first months as CFO, although those results reflect broader company execution rather than his work alone.
Problem areas / controversies
- Kennedy's permanent CFO tenure began only in November 2025, so there is limited public evidence yet for assessing his long-term record in capital allocation, forecasting, and investor communication.
- He became CFO during a leadership transition after Yvonne McGill's departure, requiring continuity across a large finance organization and a formal search process.
- Publicly documented controversies or regulatory findings tied specifically to Kennedy appear limited in the company's filings and major public reporting reviewed.
- The finance organization faces ongoing challenges from AI-server supply constraints, changing product mix, intense competition, foreign-exchange exposure, and Dell's level of indebtedness.