Christine Adee to retire from day-to-day leadership July 1 following 13-Year tenure.
WAUKESHA, Wis., June 23, 2026 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- OwnersEdge, a 100% employee-owned ESOP holding company focused on acquiring and growing healthy businesses, today announced the completion of its planned leadership succession as the organization transitions back to a single-CEO structure. Effective July 1, 2026, Co-CEO Rob Dillon will assume the sole role of CEO, and Co-CEO Christine Adee will retire from day-to-day leadership following 13 years with the organization. The transition returns OwnersEdge to a single-CEO structure, consistent with its long-term leadership plan.
"Chris has been an important part of the OwnersEdge story from the beginning," said CEO Rob Dillon. "For 13 years, she has been deeply committed to our businesses, our employee owners, and the broader ESOP community. She helped support the acquisition growth that shaped OwnersEdge into what it is today, and she has been a strong advocate for employee ownership across the country."
Dillon brings more than two decades of business leadership experience to the role, including work as a management consultant serving Fortune 500 and other large public companies, time as a business owner and entrepreneur, and executive leadership roles at BAYCOM and OwnersEdge. Prior to its acquisition by OwnersEdge in 2017, Dillon was President and Owner of Communications Service Wisconsin (CSW), which he led for five years. Following the acquisition, Dillon continued as President of BAYCOM, one of the operating companies in the OwnersEdge portfolio, which has grown approximately 3.5x since he joined the business. Dillon has been involved in six OwnersEdge acquisitions and, since becoming Co-CEO in January 2024, has been responsible for the financial performance of OwnersEdge and its portfolio companies.
A nationally recognized ESOP leader, Adee joined CC&N in 2013, the legacy operating company from which OwnersEdge was established. When OwnersEdge was formally founded in 2015 under Executive Board Chair Lisa Reardon, Adee served as CFO of the holding company before being named Co-CEO in 2023. During her tenure, she supported the organization's financial strategy and acquisition growth, including 10 acquisitions over 10 years, as well as fiduciary governance and employee ownership culture. Following her retirement, she will remain active in the employee ownership community through continued service on the board of directors for The National Center for Employee Ownership and other ESOP-related organizations.
"What gives me confidence in the future of OwnersEdge is the depth of talent across the executive team and our operating companies, the quality of the businesses in the portfolio, and the long-term mindset that exists throughout the organization," Co-CEO Christine Adee said. "This transition is part of a thoughtful plan that has been years in the making, and I know the future is bright for our employee owners."
In January 2026, OwnersEdge appointed John Hooyman as Chief Financial Officer, adding deep ESOP financial and fiduciary expertise to the executive team and further enabling the organization to advance its planned succession timeline.
"Employee-owned companies have a unique fiduciary responsibility," CFO John Hooyman added. "Every financial decision we make has a direct impact on the long-term wealth of our employee owners. That accountability is built into how we manage this business, and it's what makes OwnersEdge a strong and sustainable organization for the long term."
The transition comes during a period of continued organizational strength, and at a moment when the purpose that has always driven OwnersEdge remains as clear as ever: to build and grow great businesses that create a pathway for employee owners to realize their American Dream. OwnersEdge has expanded its portfolio through both acquisitions and organic growth, while continuing to invest in the people and culture required to build great businesses for the long term.
"Our companies are strong, our teams are talented, and our strategy is clear," Dillon added. "But what drives this organization is something bigger than any of that. It's the opportunity we have every day to build something that creates real, lasting wealth for the people who make it happen. That's what motivates me every day, and I'm confident in what we're building together."
For more information on OwnersEdge and its operating companies, visit ownersedge.com.
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SOURCE OwnersEdge
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