The ESOP Board Member's Role

Overview

Hosted by Pearson Partners International, we will enjoy time for networking and hear from a panel of experts as we discuss the board’s role when serving on an ESOP company and the questions to ask to provide strategic oversight in this unique company structure.

Parking

Complimentary surface and garage parking are available

Registration

$00 Member Registration
$35 Non-Member Registration

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Panelists

Jack Pfeffer has significant operating experience with both large and small entrepreneurial companies. Jack's operating background and his knowledge of employee ownership (ESOP's) have led to his role as an independent director for several fast growing Texas-based ESOP companies.

Pfeffer served as Vice President, Business Development and as a Corporate Officer for L.M. Ericsson N.A. during that company's entry into the North American wireless and telecommunications switching markets. He led the leveraged buy-out of the Anaconda-Ericsson Inside Wire Division in Texarkana, Arkansas, and became CEO of that new corporation. Before joining Ericsson, Mr. Pfeffer served in various capacities in the Strategic Planning, Program Management, and New Venture operations of Xerox Corporation. He participated in the acquisition and management of several early stage technology companies; served a year in the White House on loan from Xerox; and led the acquisition of technology from the Xerox Palo Alto Research Center. Mr. Pfeffer began his business career with McDonnell Douglas as part of the production planning and contracts group responsible for the Gemini space missions, F-4 SE Asia modifications, and the F-15 Eagle aircraft contract.

Mr. Pfeffer received his Bachelor in Business Administration from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and his MBA from the Rochester Institute of Technology. He is a member of the National Association of Corporate Directors where he is a Fellow, The Private Directors Association, the National Center for Employee Ownership, the ESOP Association, the Institute for Excellence in Corporate Government at the University of Texas at Dallas, and other national employee and corporate governance organizations.

Al Near is the Chairman & CEO of Hossley Lighting & Power Solutions, LLC, a leading manufacturers’ representative agency for architectural lighting, controls, shading, electrical products, and energy management systems. The company services the non-residential design and construction community spanning all of TX, OK, LA, AR, MS, and Western TN. A senior executive with over 25 years of lighting industry and management experience, Near joined what was then Hossley Lighting Associates in October 2014 as President. After driving substantial organic growth and regional expansion through M&A activity, he was named to his current position in July of 2020.

Prior to joining Hossley, Near spent over two decades in executive-level sales, product development, and marketing leadership roles with various manufacturers, including two of the industry's largest. Over the years, he has written editorials for LD + A, LEDs Magazine, and several other industry publications.

Al is a passionate advocate for the use of solid-state lighting technology and controls to achieve substantial energy savings without sacrificing the quality of light within the architectural environment. Al's experience developing lighting products from concept to reality gives him a solid understanding of the design process and enables him to provide unique insights into how lighting products can be applied for optimal effect.

Near is a graduate of the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech), where he obtained a B.S. in Industrial Management. He and his wife, Kelly, reside in Southlake, TX with their son, daughter, and two dogs.

Christopher Cervantes founded Valorous Advisors in 2022 as the capstone of his successful financial services career, which included more than two decades of serving corporate and wealthy families at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. Across his career, he has excelled in providing exceptional service to retirement plan sponsors and plan participants who are looking to better understand and improve their retirement programs. Christopher consults with companies on all aspects of their retirement planning needs, including a review of their current program, exploring possible enhancements appropriate for both the company and its employees.

Christopher is a highly credentialed advisor, who has worked hard to earn the professional expertise that would be most relevant to his clients. He is a C(k)P® Certified 401(k) Professional in good standing with The Retirement Advisor University in collaboration with UCLA Anderson School of Management Executive Education. He is also a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ and holds the Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor℠ designation.

Among the industry recognition he has received, Christopher was named to the Financial Times’ “Top 401 Retirement Plan Advisors” (2020), Barron's “America's Top 1200 Financial Advisors” (2021), and Forbes “Best-in-State Wealth Advisors” (2022).

He earned his BBA in Accounting at Baylor University, where he met his wife. Living in Plano, Texas, they are both active in their church and community, and Christopher serves on the Leadership Council for the National Association for Plan Advisors. He also serves on the Baylor University Board of Advocates.

Moderator 

John Kober is recognized for his depth of corporate and tax experience and family business experience including mergers and acquisitions (M&A) as well as his ability to address litigation matters. John has a primary focus working with closely held family businesses guiding them through numerous corporate matters including legacy planning and liquidity transactions, as well as resolution of disputes involving the family business among its family members. John has built a reputation in being the family business owners’ trusted advisor, as well as their lawyer; and for his representation of companies owned by an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP), board of directors of ESOP companies, and private equity and family offices purchasing an ESOP company.

John has an emphasis representing (i) highly successful family business owners with respect to all legal aspects arising out of the family business, the family, and the members of the board (including, the process of implementing legacy family business planning), (ii) family offices, private equity investors, and strategic buyers purchasing family owned companies and ESOP owned companies (which have a set of unique aspects); and (iii) board of directors of companies selling a family business enterprise to a private equity or family office, or a company owned by an ESOP selling to private equity or family office. John has been instrumental in advising ESOP companies in setting up special purpose acquisition funds to make acquisitions similar to a family office.

In addition to his M&A work, John is an established tax attorney and certified public accountant. John’s corporate and tax background enables him to effectively advise many family businesses, boards of directors of privately held companies, management groups, boards of directors of ESOP companies, and private equity groups throughout the United States on transactional matters and corporate governance. A unique nature of John’s practice is his litigation practice as he advises family businesses on family member shareholder disputes, and board of directors of ESOP companies on investigations and litigation involving the Department of Labor and ESOP employee disputes.

John lectures at local, regional and national conferences and writes extensively on family business and private equity transactions as well as on the proper uses of an ESOP in a family business. Frequent topics include private equity transactions involving the purchase of a family business enterprise, family business liquidity transactions, private equity transactions involving the purchase of an ESOP company, shareholder liquidity and ownership succession; and fiduciary duties of corporate boards of directors of privately held companies, as well as ESOP companies.

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