Repurchase Obligation Workshop October 7–8 Detroit, MI
SPEAKERS KIMBERLY MCCOURTNEY Kimberly holds a degree from Michigan State University and brings a wealth of diverse experience to her role as peer network manager at the NCEO. With a career that spans non-profit organizations, animal-related fields, manufacturing, distribution, sales, retail, and business management, she has developed a versatile skill set that allows her to navigate complex networks and build meaningful connections. Having spent over a decade working in employee-owned organizations, Kimberly is passionate about fostering collaboration, building relationships, and adding value to the employeeowned community.
ASHLEIGH NEWLIN Ashleigh is a leader in Chartwell's consulting practice, where she advises privately held companies with a special focus on ESOPs. The practice conducts 100+ sustainability studies and designs 40+ long-term incentive plans annually, helping clients build compensation and ownership programs that support their business and people strategies. Before joining Chartwell, Ashleigh led the Telescope Software Practice at ESOP Economics. She holds a bachelor of science and engineering degree, with high honors, in operations research and financial engineering from Princeton University.
ALLISON WILKERSON Allison Wilkerson, a partner at McDermott Will & Schulte, focuses her practice on employee benefits, with deep experience in ERISA and employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs). She advises clients on the design, implementation, and administration of qualified and nonqualified retirement plans, executive compensation, and benefit plan compliance. Allison has guided hundreds of ESOP transactions, including leveraged buyouts and private equity structures, and regularly counsels ESOPowned companies and fiduciaries. She also advises on benefit issues in mergers and acquisitions. A frequent speaker and writer on ERISA and ESOP topics, Allison is known for her practical, solutionsoriented approach to complex benefits matters.
JENNY MOSH Jenny Mosh is a shareholder in the Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation practice group in Kansas City. Jenny leverages over 20 years of experience to counsel clients in a wide array of industries to strategically design and implement pension, profit sharing, 401(k) and employee stock ownership plans. She assists clients with operational, administrative and fiduciary issues related to employee retirement programs, and has significant experience representing clients with respect to regulatory compliance and correction programs with the Internal Revenue Service and Department of Labor. Jenny has a particular focus on employee stock ownership plans (“ESOPs”) and serves clients nation-wide with respect to the establishment, administration and operation of ESOPs.
KRISTIN STEINHAUSER
Kristin has 17+ years of experience with technical consulting associated with the establishment and administration of ESOPs and 401(k)s. She has worked closely with Plan Sponsors and advisors to provide guidance on plan design and to resolve plan issues. She is frequently involved in ESOP transactions and repurchase obligation studies. She holds a QKA certification from ASPPA and is a frequent speaker on ESOP administration topics for The ESOP Association and the NCEO. She is a chapter officer for the Ohio/Kentucky chapter. She is a member of The ESOP Association, NCEO and OEOC. Kristin holds a B.B.A from Ohio University.
EVENT SPONSORS & SPEAKERS THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS & SPEAKERS FOR MAKING THIS EVENT POSSIBLE!
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES Repurchase Obligation Toolkit A collection of resources for NCEO members. Repurchase obligation is almost always manageable if the company plans for it, but without planning, the repurchase obligation can constrain companies' ability to invest in growth and, in extreme cases, can make the ESOP unsustainable. This toolkit is a guide to the NCEO resources that can help you adequately plan for your repurchase obligation and become a more sustainable ESOP company. It is divided into four parts: The rules for repurchase obligation Planning for repurchase obligation Approaches to financing the repurchase obligation Maintaining a sustainable plan
ESOP Finance Peer Network The ESOP Finance Peer Network is a small, focused community of finance professionals from NCEO member companies. This exclusive group offers an opportunity to engage in in-depth discussions with peers from other ESOP companies with invited experts in the field, sharing ideas, best practices, and insights to drive your organization forward.
Publications The ESOP Repurchase Obligation Handbook, 6th Ed.: Essays and survey results on the ESOP repurchase obligation and how companies deal with it.
Live Webinars & Replays Stay up to date on ESOPs and equity compensation with online presentations on legal, governance, HR, communications, and financial topics from our weekly webinar learning series. Both live and recorded webinars are free for NCEO members. We offer approximately 45 live ESOP webinars every year. Each webinar is recorded and then placed into our Replay Library for you to re-watch at your convenience. Find out more information about webinars at www.nceo.org/live-webinars.
Upcoming Events 2027 ANNUAL CONFERENCE
Pittsburgh, PA David L. Lawrence Convention Center April 12–15, 2027
2027 FORUM
Austin, TX JW Marriott Austin August 25–27, 2027
AGENDA: OCTOBER 7 TIME 10:00–10:30 AM
TOPIC Welcome Refreshments & Networking Mackinac Ballroom, 5th Floor
10:30–10:45 AM Welcome & Introduction Kimberly McCourtney | NCEO
10:45 AM–12:00 PM
A Deep Dive into Distribution Policy and Account Conversion Ashleigh Newlin | Chartwell Allison Wilkerson | McDermott Will & Schulte
12:00–1:15 PM
Lunch & Rountables Nicolet AB, 5th Floor
1:30–2:45 PM
Broader Plan Design Impact on Repurchase Obligation Jenny Mosh | Polsinelli Kristin Steinhauser | Blue Ridge Associates
2:45–3:15 PM
PM Break
2:15–3:30 PM
Repurchase Method (Redeem vs. Recycle) & Funding Strategy Joe Marx | Principal
4:30–5:00 PM
Wrap-Up & Q&A
5:00–6:30 PM
Networking Cocktail Reception 42 Degrees North, Lobby Level
SPEAKERS JOE MARX Joe Marx is VP of ESOP consulting at Principal. He specializes in assisting companies in the analysis, design, implementation, and operation of ESOPs, repurchase obligation planning, and ESOP administration. He is a frequent presenter at various national and regional conferences and workshops. He is a member of the New York State Society of CPAs, The ESOP Association, and the NCEO. He also serves on the finance committee of The ESOP Association, is active in the NY/NJ and New England Chapters, and is on the strategic planning committees for the NJ/NY and PA Centers for Employee Ownership.
TINA LANGLOIS Christine Hurt For over 15 years, Tina has worked with boards of directors, trustees, and management teams of ESOPowned companies to develop custom solutions for achieving long-term sustainability. With a deep expertise in ESOP repurchase obligation and plan design consulting, she leads the execution of comprehensive studies which provide analyses of the financial impact of funding all future capital claims, considering a company’s strategic objectives in relation to its ownership structure and exploring issues related to compensation programs and optimal capital structure. Throughout her career, Tina has worked with hundreds of companies of all sizes in diverse industries across the country.
TRACY WOOLSEY Christine Hurt
Tracy Woolsey guides management teams through ESOP transactions and provides ongoing strategic support. She joined GreatBanc in 2023 after serving as senior vice president at Horizon Bank, where she led the ESOP team and launched the corporate customer experience and sales groups. With almost 30 years in ESOPs and retirement plan services, Tracy is active in The ESOP Association, serving as the culture and fiduciary committee chair and as president of the Indiana Chapter.
RYAN GRAHAM Christine Hurt
Ryan is a leader in Chartwell’s consulting practice, providing ESOP-owned companies a holistic approach to corporate sustainability. Ryan has been assisting privately-held business owners and management teams in analyzing the financial impact of transactions and the ongoing repurchase obligation for ESOP companies since 2004. He is recognized nationally as a leader in ESOP sustainability and repurchase obligation forecasting. Throughout his career, Ryan has worked with companies of many different sizes in diverse industries across the country. Ryan has worked with over a third of the companies on the NCEO’s Employee Ownership 100, a list of America’s largest majority employee-owned companies.
AGENDA: OCTOBER 8 TOPIC
TIME 8:00–9:00 AM
Breakfast Nicolet AB, 5th Floor
9:00–9:05 AM Welcome Back & Recap 9:05–10:20 AM Releveraging: Mechanics, Application, & Considerations Tina Langlois | Chartwell Tracy Woolsey | GreatBanc
10:20–10:45 AM AM Break 10:45 AM–12:15 PM Sustainability Planning Ryan Graham | Chartwel Tina Langlois| Chartwelll
12:15–1:15 PM Lunch
Nicolet AB, 5th Floor
1:15 PM–2:45 PM Expert Panel: Implementation Roadmap All Speakers
2:45–3:15 PM Wrap-Up Learning Objectives: To equip finance leaders with the actionable knowledge, practical tools, and strategic insights necessary to proactively forecast, fund, and manage their ESOP repurchase obligation, ensuring the long-term financial health and sustainability of their company. This intensive, workshop-driven program is distinct from sessions at our Annual Conference or Forum, offering a unique hands-on experience tailored for finance professionals.
2027
Annual Conference
We invite you to join us in Pittsburgh! Use code ESOP to save $50 on your Annual Conference registration. Learn more at annualconference.nceo.org.