About Us

ESOP Consultants

RONALD J. GILBERT
President and Cofounder
esop@esopservices.com

Ronald J. Gilbert (“Ron”) is the cofounder and president of ESOP Services, Inc., an international consulting firm specializing in ESOP transactions for privately held companies. With offices in Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania, the firm’s clients are throughout the US.

Ron holds a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Commerce from the McIntire School of Commerce at the University of Virginia and a Master of Financial Services from The American College. He worked for Louis & Kelso, the “father” of the ESOP, and with Senator Russell B. Long, the legislative father of the ESOP.

He has served on the boards of directors of seven ESOP companies, and is a former member of the board of directors of The National Center for Employee Ownership and The ESOP Association.

With over forty years of experience, Ron is a frequent speaker at ESOP seminars including those sponsored by The World Bank, The ESOP Association, The National Center for Employee Ownership, has been a guest lecturer at the Darden Graduate School of Business Executive Education Program, and has spoken in nine countries.

Ron Gilbert is Co-Author and Co-Editor of Employee Stock Ownership Plans: ESOP Planning, Financing, Implementation, Law and Taxation, the most comprehensive work on the subject, published by the Beyster Institute. He also has authored numerous ESOP articles for various publishers, including The National Center for Employee Ownership. Publications include the Journal of Employee Ownership, Law and Finance; Don’t Do That; and Selling to an ESOP. Ron and his wife Susan live on a farm near Charlottesville, Virginia.

DAVID M. BINNS
Senior Consultant
david@esopservices.com

David Binns is a former ESOP company CEO and Board chair with extensive expertise with Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs), equity compensation strategies and international economic development. He has served as a senior officer, board member and/or advisor on numerous successful ESOP transactions.

He served as President & CEO of Macfadden & Associates, a 100% ESOP-owned company, from 2011 through 2018. A professional services government contracting company with approximately 325 employees. Macfadden specialized in delivering a broad range of services to support the U.S. government’s response to international disasters and humanitarian crises. From 2008-2011 he served as Macfadden’s Chief Operating Officer. Macfadden was acquired by PAE in 2018.

From 1991-2008 Mr. Binns served as Associate Director of the Beyster Institute, where he consulted with scores of companies on the use of equity compensation plans, was a primary contributor to the Institute’s publications and managed many of the Institute’s international economic development and privatization programs.

He served as Executive Director of The ESOP Association from 1984-1991.
Mr. Binns currently serves on the boards of director of several ESOP companies and has served on multiple corporate and non-profit boards of directors and advisory boards.

Mr. Binns has written extensively on ESOP-related issues and is Co-Author and Co-Editor of Employee Stock Ownership Plans: ESOP Planning, Financing, Implementation, Law & Taxation.

A graduate of the University of Virginia, David and his wife Beth live in Silver Spring, MD.

Staff

BEVERLY EDGETT
Executive Assistant
beverly@esopservices.com

ROBYN BAUDER
CFO
robyn@esopservices.com