Kim R. Cocklin is the former President and CEO of Atmos Energy Corporation, a leading natural gas distribution company. Born in 1951, he has had a long career focused on management roles in the energy sector. Before becoming CEO in...

Kim R. Cocklin is the former President and CEO of Atmos Energy Corporation, a leading natural gas distribution company. Born in 1951, he has had a long career focused on management roles in the energy sector. Before becoming CEO in October 2010, Cocklin held other key positions within Atmos Energy and worked for Piedmont Natural Gas. He is known for aligning executive pay with company performance, emphasizing earnings per share (EPS) targets to ensure shareholder value growth. During his tenure, Kim made significant cash earnings, with total compensations like $4.7 million in 2011, a noteworthy sum that included a salary and performance bonuses. His commitment to performance metrics led Atmos Energy to achieve financial targets that boosted his bonuses, demonstrating the strategy he adopted to drive results. In 2020, he announced his retirement as Executive Chairman, which marked the end of an era in the company. Cocklin is noted for his hands-on approach and strategic insights into managing a utility company, making him a significant figure in the energy industry.

Quick Links

1. Rivals

2. Holdings

3. Insider Trading

4. Compensation History

5. Other Atmos Energy CEOs

A

Kim R. Cocklin

Ex-CEO of Atmos Energy

Education

Not specified

Field of Expertise

Business & Management

Sector of Economy

Utilities

Born

January 1, 1951 - 74 years ago

CEO of Atmos Energy for

4 years 6 months (Apr 2013 - Oct 2017)

Previous Experience

President and Chief Operating Officer of Atmos Energy Corporation

Rivals

Competitors/colleagues of Kim R. Cocklin

N

David P. Bauer

CEO of National Fuel Gas

2023 Compensation

Stock

$0.00

Salary

$1.04M

Bonus

$1.33M

Other

$175.14K

Total Holdings

$6.69M

A

Warner L. Baxter

CEO of Ameren

2021 Compensation

Stock

$0.00

Salary

$1.30M

Bonus

$0.00

Other

$158.48K

Total Holdings

$23.31M

N

Stephen D. Westhoven

CEO of New Jersey Resources

2023 Compensation

Stock

$1.41M

Salary

$938.25K

Bonus

$0.00

Other

$75.31K

Total Holdings

$8.28M

A

M. Susan Hardwick

CEO of American Water Works

2023 Compensation

Stock

$1.91M

Salary

$1.07M

Bonus

$0.00

Other

$329.77K

Total Holdings

$5.94M

W

Scott J. Lauber

CEO of WEC Energy Group

2023 Compensation

Stock

$0.00

Salary

$1.09M

Bonus

$0.00

Other

$504.54K

Total Holdings

$5.61M

Holdings

See how much did Kim R. Cocklin make over time.

Kim R. Cocklin's holdings in Atmos Energy have fluctuated quite a bit over the years. At one point in 2019, he held about $48.34 million worth of shares, showing a strong investment in the company he led. However, his holdings...

Kim R. Cocklin's holdings in Atmos Energy have fluctuated quite a bit over the years. At one point in 2019, he held about $48.34 million worth of shares, showing a strong investment in the company he led. However, his holdings saw some ups and downs, dropping to around $23 million by late 2023. This variability reflects both the changes in share prices and possibly Cocklin's decisions around selling or retaining stock. His holdings peaked in December 2020 at around $68.90 million, demonstrating confidence in Atmos Energy's growth trajectory. As the CEO, he strategically navigated the company's interests, leading to substantial financial positioning within his portfolio.

Mar 18, 2025

A

shares

ATO @ $150.56

Total Stock Sold

$7.53M

ATO

$7.53M

65,000 ATO shares

What if they kept their stock?

If Kim R. Cocklin didn't sell their stock, today they would have:
Extra ATO65,000 shares worth $6.71M.
This is -10.91% and $822.35K less than what they got when they sold the stock.

Charitable Transactions

ATO

48,000 shares

ATO

Recent Charitable Transactions

ATO

48,000 shares

ATO

Dec 7, 2021

Charity

ATO

210,000 shares

ATO

Dec 19, 2020

Charity

Insider Trading

See recent insider trades of Kim R. Cocklin.

ATO

$1.75M

ATO at $116.46/share

Mar 27, 2024

Sale

ATO

$1.39M

ATO at $110.99/share

Nov 6, 2023

Sale

ATO

$1.47M

ATO at $117.44/share

Aug 7, 2023

Sale

ATO

$1.43M

ATO at $114.54/share

May 1, 2023

Sale

ATO

$1.46M

ATO at $117.14/share

Feb 6, 2023

Sale

ATO

48,000 shares

ATO

Dec 7, 2021

Charity

ATO

210,000 shares

ATO

Dec 19, 2020

Charity

ATO

32,712 shares

ATO

Nov 2, 2013

Received

ATO

10,793 shares

ATO

Nov 6, 2012

Received

ATO

12,956 shares

ATO

Nov 8, 2011

Received

Compensation History

See how much did Kim R. Cocklin make over time.

During his time as CEO, Kim R. Cocklin's compensation was closely tied to company performance, reflecting a strong focus on delivering value to shareholders. In 2017, for example, he earned a total of about $4.6 million, which included an impressive bonus tied to surpassing EPS targets. His salary started at around $541K and gradually increased, demonstrating his rising responsibility. Over the years, his total compensation varied significantly—sometimes topping $8 million in good years. This compensation structure was designed to ensure that a large portion of his pay was tied directly to the company's success, thus aligning his interests with those of investors.

Year

2017

Total Compensation

$2.26M

Salary

$996.64K

Board Justification

The compensation philosophy is designed to align executive compensation with company performance, focusing on both annual and long-term incentives to drive shareholder value.

Bonus

$1.25M

Board Justification

The bonus was based on the achievement of financial performance metrics, specifically the EPS target of $3.55, which was exceeded with an actual EPS of $3.64, resulting in a payout of 125% of the target award.

Other

$18.89K

Board Justification

Other compensation includes contributions to retirement savings plans, cost of premiums for company-paid term life insurance, and financial planning services.

Restricted Stock

$0.00(0 N/A)

Board Justification

No stock grants were vested in 2017 as the focus was on cash compensation and performance-based RSUs that were not yet vested.

Performance Metrics

The performance metrics for determining the CEO's compensation included earnings per share (EPS) targets and total shareholder return (TSR).

Other Atmos Energy CEOs

Here are other CEOs of Atmos Energy

Robert W. Best

Ex-CEO of Atmos Energy

September 2005 - April 2013

Michael E. Haefner

CEO of Atmos Energy

October 2017 - Present