Leadership in an Employee-Owned Company: What Changes, What Stays the Same, and What Surprises You

Based on decades of experience, Melisa serves as coach and consultant to leadership teams who are ready to roll up their sleeves and harness the rocket fuel of ESOP’s enabling a highly engaged employee ownership culture. With her commitment to high performance and a bone-deep belief that people are the centerpiece of performance, she partners with courageous leaders who are ready to leverage the criticality of the role culture plays within their own company, and with key stakeholders (e.g. supply chain, mergers and acquisitions).

Brian Kingery is the Vice President of Strategic Growth & Business Development at Stellar Industries, a 100% employee-owned manufacturer headquartered in Garner, Iowa.  In this role, he leads the strategic vision for the Operations footprint, the design and manufacturing engineering departments as well as quality, EHS and corporate facilities and maintenance.  He has played a key role in M&A’s including the role of integration lead.  With over 30 years of leadership experience, he brings a people first approach to leadership.

Susan Bunz is the Vice President of Human Resources at Stellar Industries, a 100% employee-owned manufacturer headquartered in Garner, Iowa.  In this role, she leads the company's Human Resources strategies, fostering a culture of employee engagement and ownership. With a deep commitment to employee well-being and a strong focus on leadership development, she plays a key role in shaping a workplace where employees feel empowered , valued, and aligned with the company mission.