Episode 2: Leadership

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Summary

What is leadership? How do we ensure continuity in the leadership of our company? Is a concept like leadership more important in an employee owned company? In this episode, we explore the idea of leadership from a couple of different aspects. In the first segment of this episode, we talk with Tim Jamison and Tom DeSimone of Prairie Capital Advisors on planning for leadership succession in your employee owned company, we discuss processes, procedures, and best practices. In the second half we talk with Jeff Evans former CEO of The Will-Burt Company, an employee-owned company in Orrville, OH. Jeff discusses hist perspective on what makes for effective leadership in an employee-owned company.

Guest Bios

Tim, CPA, is a Director at Prairie Capital Advisors where he is responsible for business development and growth initiatives and focuses on advising business owners about ownership transition alternatives including employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs) and mergers and acquisitions (M&A), among others. Services include adequate consideration analyses, feasibility studies, transaction financing and restructuring, fairness and solvency opinions, post-transaction cash flow analyses and annual valuations. Tim holds the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) designation in the state of Kentucky as well as a Masters of Business Administration from Indiana University and a Bachelor of Accounting from Bellarmine University in Louisville, KY.

Tom, CPA, is a Director at Prairie Capital Advisors and has extensive experience in advising middle-market companies on ESOP transactions (representing both companies and ESOP trustees), mergers and acquisitions (M&A), financial opinions, corporate valuation and other investment banking advisory services. Tom also works with boards of directors and companies on mature ESOP planning and sustainability. Tom holds the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) designation in the state of Illinois as well as a Master of Accounting Degree and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting from the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Jeffrey Evans is the former Chairman, CEO, President, and CFO of The Will-Burt Company. In his career, Mr. Evans has served more than 100 total years on 7 separate ESOP boards of directors. Jeff is a frequent keynote speaker and presenter, executive coach and trainer. Mr. Evans has founded Strategic Executive Partners (SEP), a consulting company established to help other companies benefit from the lessons he has learned. Jeff’s book, Strategic Alignment: Planning, People and Communications will be published in early 2020.

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About the Podcast

The Owners at Work Podcast is a continuation of the biannual Owners at Work Newsletter which ran for 19 years (1990-2019). We are hoping to continue the same conversations and focus on providing updates on everything employee ownership. We plan to interview practitioners with expertise in different facets of employee ownership, academics doing new and interesting research, and most importantly, individuals who have a personal experience with employee ownership, including current and former employee-owners, mid-level to C suite management, and selling owners.

We Want to talk to YOU!

We want to produce a show that engages with relevant questions and provides practical lessons and information. We want this podcast to include the voices of those who practice employee-ownership each and every day. To that end we want to hear from you! We want to highlight what you are doing, whether you are an employee-owned company, a practitioner, or researcher.

***Please reach out via email: oeoc@kent.edu

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