Inside-Out: A C-Suite perspective on optimizing the value you add as a Board Member or Trustee

Mike Mallaro is the Executive Chairman of the Board of VGM Group. VGM is a 100% ESOP company headquartered in Waterloo, Iowa with more than 1,500 employee-owners. Mike joined VGM in 2001 as CFO, where he led the transition from a privately held company to a 100% ESOP in 2008. He became CEO in 2016 and continued in that role until transitioning out of the CEO role into the Executive Chair role at the end of 2023. In his time as CEO, Mike centered his leadership on three aspirations: (1) optimizing employee engagement through company culture, (2) getting the right leaders in the right spots, and (3) ensuring laser focus, allowing our individual and team strengths to best serve VGM customers. Prior to joining VGM, Mike,s career included a CFO role at a retail chain and 11+ years as a CPA at a national firm.  He graduated from the University of Iowa with a degree in accounting.   

Terry has served as CFO for Wright Service Corp. since 2002 after serving as controller since 1994. He was instrumental in the initial ESOP transaction in 2002 as well as the second transaction in 2006 in which Wright became a 100% S corp ESOP. The Wright ESOP currently has about 1,800 participants.