Employee Ownership Blog

Maria Lianos

The ESOP CEO Transition: A Framework for Getting It Right

A change in CEO is one of the most crucial events in the life of any company. In an ESOP company, where leadership is so deeply tied to culture, relationships, and the long-term health of the plan, getting that transition right is a fiduciary responsibility. In a recent NCEO webinar, NCEO board member Mike Frommelt of Strategic Talent Partners discussed how to prepare for leadership succession with a roadmap for CEO transition. 

Right-pointing arrow Continue Reading

Corey Rosen

FASB Advisors Question ESOP Repurchase Reporting Rules

A February 17, 2026, memo to the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) from the Private Company Council (PCC), the primary advisory body to the FASB on private companies, raises the issue of whether the FASB should reconsider its current rules for accounting for ESOP repurchase obligations in private companies. Drawing on NCEO research, the memo says that private company ESOPs have grown significantly since the FASB last looked at this issue in 1993. At that time, FASB decided not to require private ESOP companies to record the repurchase obligation on their balance sheet but did require that companies provide a description of the obligation, the fair value of the shares allocated as of the balance sheet date, and the number of allocated and unallocated shares. It also concluded that redemptions of ESOP shares from participants are purchases of treasury stock, even if there is a put option, and thus are not obligations requiring recognition. The guidance can be found in FASB Accounting Standards Codification Subtopic 718-40, Employee Stock Ownership Plans, which originated in Statement of Position (SOP) 93-6, Employers’ Accounting for Employee Stock Ownership Plans. 

Right-pointing arrow Continue Reading

Corey Rosen

New DOL Report on Its Employee Ownership Initiative

The Worker Ownership, Readiness, and Knowledge Act (the WORK Act), part of the SECURE 2.0 Act of 2022, directed the Department of Labor (DOL) to establish an Employee Ownership Initiative to promote employee ownership and employee participation. It also authorized funding through the office for state employee ownership outreach and education programs starting in FY 2025. Congress did not appropriate funds for this program, but the most recent DOL appropriation bill contains a “joint explanatory statement” from the appropriation committees directing that $2 million be allocated in the coming year.

Right-pointing arrow Continue Reading

Ramona Rodriguez-Brooks

Building Ownership Culture: 5 Steps to Help Employees Think Like Owners

Employee ownership creates meaningful potential, but that potential is only realized when the organizational culture actively supports it. ESOP ownership combined with a strong ownership culture is what drives higher performance; the structure alone is not sufficient. That is the foundational premise of a recent NCEO webinar led by Matt Hancock, Principal Consultant at Praxis Consulting Group, who offered a practical framework for building a workplace where every employee can think, feel, and act like an owner.

Right-pointing arrow Continue Reading

Corey Rosen

Record Amount of GDP Going to Profits Shows Kelso Was Right

A new analysis from KPMG shows a record gap between the share of GDP going to profits and the share going to compensation. Corporate profits were 8% of GDP in 1992 but are 15.85% today; compensation has dropped from 66.2% in 1982 to 61.9% today. The data parallel other research showing that productivity gains have risen much faster than compensation. In a LinkedIn post, Diane Swonk, chief economist and managing director at KPMG, wrote, “This chart from my recent Economic Compass still haunts me. A friend refers to it as the ‘revolution chart,’ which [is] disturbing but telling. Inequality fuels social and economic instability.”

Right-pointing arrow Continue Reading

Corey Rosen

Illinois Plan Would Invest State Funds in Employee Ownership

The Employee Ownership Development Act (Illinois House Bill 4955), introduced by Democratic Representative Will Guzzardi, would direct the state treasurer to segregate up to 5% of the state’s investment portfolio into an “Employee Ownership Development Account.” The funds would be made available to companies that are majority employee-owned through ESOPs, employee ownership trusts, or worker cooperatives. Funds would be invested through “employee ownership development firms,” which are capital providers with a track record of providing capital to employee ownership companies. The funds must invest at least 1.5 times the amount of capital provided by the state. Funds can be used for ownership transitions or expanding existing employee ownership companies. 

Right-pointing arrow Continue Reading

Corey Rosen

The ERISA Advisory Council Appears to Be Out of Commission

According to a report by Paul Mulholland of the Profit Sharing Council of America, the ERISA Advisory Council did not meet in 2025 and has no plans to meet in 2026. The 15-member council is mandated by Section 512 of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA). The council makes recommendations on ERISA issues to the Secretary of Labor. The council is appointed by the Secretary, with three members representing employee organizations, three from employers, three from the general public, and one each from various professional fields. The council is supposed to hold at least four meetings per year. Mark DeBofsky, a member of the council until the end of 2025, reports that there were no emails, notices, or other communications from the DOL to the council, and that inquiries went unanswered.

Right-pointing arrow Continue Reading

Ramona Rodriguez-Brooks

Experts Outline How to Successfully Structure an ESOP Deal

On February 3, Nick Francia and Mark Padjen presented an NCEO webinar where they walked attendees through the steps of an ESOP transaction, in particular highlighting the roles different advisors play on the path to employee ownership. If you're a business owner exploring exit strategies or a CFO evaluating succession planning options, understanding how to structure and execute an ESOP transaction could be one of the most valuable investments of your time. These two advisors noted that a successful ESOP transaction requires excellent execution from both the advisory team and the company. Here's what each party should focus on:

Right-pointing arrow Continue Reading