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P R O F I L E
Clear vision: Jeff Plymale President and CEO of RJN Group (Wheaton, IL), a firm that is passionate about the environment, committed to community, and devoted to the welfare of its employees.
By LIISA ANDREASSEN Correspondent
P rior to becoming RJN Group’s president in 2017, Jeff Plymale served as the company’s executive vice president and COO. The board chose him to step into this position based on his track record of strong leadership and innovation – both inside and outside of RJN. He’s been with the company since 2000 and has held multiple management positions including business development, strategic planning, geographic expansion, product development, and management of multiple large-scale condition assessment programs around the country with municipalities under federal consent decrees. “As an ESOP, all employees get to build their future and reap the rewards as owners,” Plymale says. “As a destination, RJN offers employees the opportunity to shape their career, have a voice, and build their legacy.” A CONVERSATION WITH JEFF PLYMALE. The Zweig Letter: What’s the greatest difference
between your role now and your role as executive VP and COO? Jeff Plymale: My appointment as chief operating officer was coincidental with the former president announcing his retirement. Under a compressed five-year timeframe, we formed an Executive Management Team (EMT) that fulfilled the role of the president. Once I became president, my duties remained the same, but the full weight of the position hit me as the last line for decisions. It now rests on me to lead with a vision and set the company tone for expectations and values. It’s often said that it can be lonely at the top, and that’s certainly proved true. TZL: In one word or phrase, what do you describe as your number one job responsibility as CEO? JP: Delivering shareholder value for our employees is number one, which takes a clear vision and accountability.
THE ZWEIG LETTER AUGU
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