Herb is joined by newly elected President and COO of Sargent Eric Ritchie, CFO Tasha Gardner, as well as Board Members Keith Bennett and Tom Bailey in the Flywheel Studio to discuss Eric’s transition into President of Sargent. Though it may continue to be business as usual for most, this episode discusses why this is a big step in forwarding the Sargent legacy. Don’t miss out on this episode and encourage all Sargent employee-owners to listen!
Frequently Asked Questions:
Is Herb retiring?
No -- Herb is transitioning from President/CEO to CEO, and will remain the board of directors' chairman, while Eric takes on the president role and retains the Chief Operating Officer role.
Is Eric going to take the company in a totally different direction? How will it change?
Eric is fully bought into, and is taking on the responsibility of implementing, the strategic plan we completed in 2021, which has a focus on people and culture as its basis for success. At its root, that plan calls for us to: Invest in People; Adapt to Market Realities; Acquire Projects; Invest in Equipment & Technologies; Execute & Win in the Field; Celebrate & Promote the Wins -- then back to Invest in People.
Herb will also be overseeing strategy and vision in his retained role, and Eric will be reporting to both Herb and the Board of Directors. The governance of the company is fully behind the strategic plan -- as is Eric -- and is expecting continued progress toward its initiatives.
Is this just a step toward selling the company?
Absolutely not. In fact, one of the main reasons for the ESOP was to eliminate that possibility, in practical terms, that we would ever need to sell. Without the benefit of 100% employee-ownership, at some point in time, the end of Sargent as we know it, would come. We have built a company with a financial position that is envied. We are strong financially. YOU own it. We're NOT selling it.
We've grown a lot in the last four years since Eric has been COO; is he all about growth above everything else?
No. But remember, this growth has taken place while I've been president and it's been a joy to watch and be a part of -- and employee-owners have benefited greatly. We ALL believe growth is important for us, but not at the expense of culture and the joy we get from being a part of Sargent’s continued success. Eric's focus is more on a culture of accountability that can improve execution, than to meet any new, top-line revenue number.
What will these changes mean to me?
At the individual level, very few people will be impacted by this change, though two or three positions may have different reporting lines. There are no other position/management changes related to this at this time. The company enjoys successes that have been built long before us – for nearly a hundred years – and though we never have a birthright for success, we are well-positioned to continue the legacy thousands of Sargent employees have built as we head into our second century soon.
If you liked this week’s episode and are interested in becoming an Employee-Owner at Sargent, please visit our careers page on the Sargent website.
https://sargent.us/apply/
If you have an episode suggestion, please send your idea to:
sbennage@sargent.us
Herb is joined by newly elected President and COO of Sargent Eric Ritchie, CFO Tasha Gardner, as well as Board Members Keith Bennett and Tom Bailey in the Flywheel Studio to discuss Eric’s transition into President of Sargent. Though it may continue to be business as usual for most, this episode discusses why this is a big step in forwarding the Sargent legacy. Don’t miss out on this episode and encourage all Sargent employee-owners to listen!
Frequently Asked Questions:
Is Herb retiring?
No -- Herb is transitioning from President/CEO to CEO, and will remain the board of directors' chairman, while Eric takes on the president role and retains the Chief Operating Officer role.
Is Eric going to take the company in a totally different direction? How will it change?
Eric is fully bought into, and is taking on the responsibility of implementing, the strategic plan we completed in 2021, which has a focus on people and culture as its basis for success. At its root, that plan calls for us to: Invest in People; Adapt to Market Realities; Acquire Projects; Invest in Equipment & Technologies; Execute & Win in the Field; Celebrate & Promote the Wins -- then back to Invest in People.
Herb will also be overseeing strategy and vision in his retained role, and Eric will be reporting to both Herb and the Board of Directors. The governance of the company is fully behind the strategic plan -- as is Eric -- and is expecting continued progress toward its initiatives.
Is this just a step toward selling the company?
Absolutely not. In fact, one of the main reasons for the ESOP was to eliminate that possibility, in practical terms, that we would ever need to sell. Without the benefit of 100% employee-ownership, at some point in time, the end of Sargent as we know it, would come. We have built a company with a financial position that is envied. We are strong financially. YOU own it. We're NOT selling it.
We've grown a lot in the last four years since Eric has been COO; is he all about growth above everything else?
No. But remember, this growth has taken place while I've been president and it's been a joy to watch and be a part of -- and employee-owners have benefited greatly. We ALL believe growth is important for us, but not at the expense of culture and the joy we get from being a part of Sargent’s continued success. Eric's focus is more on a culture of accountability that can improve execution, than to meet any new, top-line revenue number.
What will these changes mean to me?
At the individual level, very few people will be impacted by this change, though two or three positions may have different reporting lines. There are no other position/management changes related to this at this time. The company enjoys successes that have been built long before us – for nearly a hundred years – and though we never have a birthright for success, we are well-positioned to continue the legacy thousands of Sargent employees have built as we head into our second century soon.
If you liked this week’s episode and are interested in becoming an Employee-Owner at Sargent, please visit our careers page on the Sargent website.
https://sargent.us/apply/
If you have an episode suggestion, please send your idea to:
sbennage@sargent.us