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ON THE MOVE MSA NAMES NICK WAGNER AS NEXT CEO MSA Professional Services, Inc. announced the appointment of Nick Wagner, PE, to the role of chief executive officer effective January 1, 2025. Wagner will succeed current CEO Gil Hantzsch, PE, who has announced plans to retire. This planned transition will maintain MSA’s success in delivering top-tier client service and quality projects to communities across the country. Wagner first joined MSA as a co-op student in 2004 and as a summer intern in 2005. He was hired full-time in 2006, moving to the company’s Dubuque office location where he was promoted to the role of team leader in 2012. In 2013, growth of the organization’s Quad Cities team led Wagner to relocate to Bettendorf, Iowa, to guide growth and development initiatives in the greater eastern Iowa-western Illinois region, after which he was promoted to the role of Illinois program manager in 2017. In 2018, Wagner was appointed an ESOP trustee for MSA – an acting fiduciary and overseer of the company’s employee- owned S-Corporation trust. In 2019, he was elected to the company’s board of directors, and in 2020, promoted to senior vice president of the Buildings
service line, where he since has guided the strategic growth and pursuits of the firm’s vertical infrastructure division from Kiel, Wisconsin. Wagner holds a bachelor’s degree in environmental engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, from which he was honored with an Outstanding Alumni Award in 2021. He is a licensed professional engineer in Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, North Carolina, and Wisconsin, a graduate of the ACEC Senior Executives Institute and member of the ACEC Coalition of American Mechanical and Electrical Engineers. Throughout his career, Wagner has demonstrated consistent success through strong client relationships and servant leadership, supporting clients throughout the firm’s footprint and establishing strong professional relationships across the industry. “I am incredibly honored and enthusiastic to take on this role,” commented Wagner, CEO-elect. “Gil has provided exceptional leadership and his contributions have laid a strong foundation for future success. MSA is destined for great things, but nothing greater than continuing to
positively impact the lives of our clients and communities.” Wagner will succeed Hantzsch, who has served in various roles during his 32-year tenure at MSA. Hantzsch joined MSA in 1992 as a wastewater engineer before being promoted to team leader in 1995, and vice president in 2008. In 2013, he accepted the role of president and CEO – a position he held for the next 11 years – and during which he led the firm through impactful organizational initiatives, three successful acquisitions, consistent revenue growth, geographic expansion and many regional and national accolades. Hantzsch also led efforts positioning MSA to become a 100 percent employee-owned company in 2017, and in 2019, was inducted into the ACEC College of Fellows. “I’m pleased to congratulate Nick on being selected as the next CEO of MSA,” commented Hantzsch, current MSA CEO. “He represents the next generation of leadership as one who will serve the organization as a steward of our employee-ownership model, and who will continue our tradition of service excellence to clients.”
Magazine reports that businesses investing at least $1,500 per employee per year in training see profit margins 24 percent higher than those investing less. Competitive advantage. A significant 78 percent of Zweig Group’s Best Firms To Work For offer tuition and training benefits, highlighting a clear advantage in recruiting and retaining top talent. Key reasons for employee turnover. According to a Work Institute report, career growth and work- life balance are the top reasons employees leave a company, at 22 percent and 12 percent respectively. Providing licensure exam prep addresses these critical factors, reducing turnover. ■ Bottom line savings to learning and development and company budgets: Cost management prior to formal benefits. Without formal licensure exam prep benefits, employers often pay market rates without controlling training quality, incurring high B2C purchase costs for employees. Savings and quality control post-benefit establishment. Once licensure exam prep is established as a formal benefit, companies save
money and monitor training quality. SoPE assists with surveying students, involving benefit administrators, and managing company accounts, ensuring effective training. Intangible benefits. While the financial benefits of formal exam prep programs are significant, the quality control and employee satisfaction resulting from these programs also enhance overall company performance. Offering licensure exam prep is a benefit that modern companies cannot afford to overlook. The advantages for the firm, such as improved recruitment, retention, and cost savings, are clear. However, the benefits for employees – enhanced career advancement and upskilling – translate into substantial gains for the company. When employees feel supported, the positive impact on the bottom line is undeniable. Combining this support with the top-rated, flexible course formats and cost savings provided by corporate programs with the School of PE creates a win-win situation for any company. Jeff Bornemiss is director of business development at School of PE. Contact him at jeff.bornemiss@schoolofpe.com . For more information on School of PE courses, please visit www. schoolofpe.com .
THE ZWEIG LETTER SEPTEMBER 9, 2024, ISSUE 1552
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