As we transition into a new year, it is my pleasure to announce an upcoming leadership transition at Keller Schroeder. I will be retiring from the Company in first quarter 2017, and our Board of Directors has selected Jeff Gorman as my successor.
Many of you know Jeff already as our Business Unit Director for Keller Schroeder’s Network Solutions Group (NSG). Jeff will become President of Keller Schroeder effective January 1, 2017, and will be elected our Board Chairman. I will continue as an owner and a member of the Board for the foreseeable future, but will not have any day-to-day responsibilities after first quarter of next year.
I have seen many changes at Keller Schroeder since my appointment to this position in January, 1999. We have seen growth in our size, reputation, and impact on our community. Perhaps most notably, we became employee-owned in 2004 through an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP). I believe the strong, positive culture of excellence, substance, and accountability emerging from that transaction has made us better for you, our clients, and for the employee-owners who serve you.
This is a great time for me to step away, as Keller Schroeder is poised for even greater impact in the years ahead, and Jeff is uniquely suited to lead us forward. Jeff joined Keller Schroeder in 2004 and has overseen tremendous growth in the size, reach, and reputation of NSG, our largest and fastest-growing services business unit. He is a key member of our Operations Team and has a solid grasp on all segments of our business: IT consulting and staffing services, project management, and value-added resale and integration of hardware, software, and cloud-based solutions.
Jeff possesses a deep and diverse background in leadership at Keller Schroeder, and at prior employers including Ascension Health/CSC, Welborn Clinic, and South Western Communications. Most importantly, Jeff is a person of integrity. He is an outstanding representative of our client-focused, people-centric, ownership culture, and has earned broad “followship” across Keller Schroeder and among many of our clients (see my last newsletter article on this subject).
Jeff earned his B.S. in Electrical Engineering and his Masters of Public Service Administration from the University of Evansville. He and his wife Amy are natives of Evansville and are avid Aces fans and Hoosier fans (some of us had to overlook the IU part when the Board chose him for this role). He has three children – Jacob, Caroline, and Allison.
We were intentional about making this announcement a full year in advance of my retirement to give Jeff and me the opportunity to work closely in 2016 to ensure a seamless transition. Those of you who have interacted with members of the Keller Schroeder team know that our success has been tethered directly to the outstanding skills and conscientious work ethic of our employee-owners. I have been blessed to lead such a talented group of professionals, and I believe Jeff is stepping into one of the best jobs on the planet.
I could not be more excited about Keller Schroeder’s future under Jeff’s leadership.
Larry May
President
