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alive and see it progress, especially for our employees who have worked alongside us for all these years.
“ About three years ago – after we completed the ESOP transaction – I approached the board with my tentative retirement date,” Steve continues.“ We needed to start thinking about my replacement and I, as President, have always felt that one of my most important jobs is to ensure a smooth transition to whoever the next leader will be. I didn’ t want to see the company struggle after I left because we chose the wrong person. Two years ago, the board and I selected one of our existing employees to be executive vice president as part of the succession plan. They would take over 60 percent of my current job to help them learn the ropes while I’ m still here to oversee and mentor them.”
New leadership
Emphasizing the importance of communication and transparency with his team throughout the transition, Steve was thrilled to announce that Nick DePalma will be succeeding him as President of Notch on October 1st. As the sun sets on one era, a new day dawns, and Steve is optimistic about the company’ s future. Continuing to strengthen its existing legacy, the company is well-positioned for a thriving future under new leadership. Concluding our conversation, Steve reveals his vision for the future of Notch and reflects on the talented team that has helped to make it all possible.
“ I’ ll be making a‘ soft exit’ in the sense that I will be stepping into a part-time, nonexecutive chairman role for the next two years. I’ ll still be involved but in more of an advisory role, and I’ ll likely stay on as a director beyond that if everybody still feels like I’ m bringing value,” Steve affirms.“ In the next few years, I’ d like to see the business continue to spread geographically. We have a lot of strength in the western New England area, but we’ d like to expand our model to new places in
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