As Co-Chief Executive Officer, Tim is focused on operational excellence, team growth and best-in-class client experience. He provides strategic leadership across ESS Companies and The ESS Foundation.
As an energized leader, Tim constantly keeps abreast of industry trends and technology. Tim has been involved in all company market expansions since 2005 and has developed key partnerships across the nation. Tim’s passion is people and he is an advocate for professional development and training.
As Co-Chief Executive Officer, Robert provides strategic leadership for ESS Companies, ensuring we meet the evolving needs of clients and employee-owners. He is a civil engineer with decades of field operations experience, having constructed nationwide landmark infrastructure projects. During his tenure, Robert has led ESSC through significant growth. He is a driving force behind our strategic diversification, expanding project delivery types, markets served, services provided and geographic footprint across the enterprise. Robert continues to drive ESSC to the next level, through mergers and acquisitions, organic growth and joint-venture opportunities.
Amy oversees legal, compliance, ethics, corporate governance and human resources for all ESS Companies. She is a strategic and passionate leader with vast experience in risk management and human resources, delivering innovative people-first business solutions. Amy aligns our unique employee-owner culture with the company vision and is laser-focused on continually improving the employee-owner experience. Her insights have helped ESSC protect our high-performing Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP), ensuring its sustainability for generations to come.
As Chief Financial Officer, Dan manages all financial operations across ESS Companies. This includes corporate finance, accounting, cost control, financial planning and analysis. Dan is a people-first leader and spirited champion of our employee-owned culture. He works hand-in-hand with operational leaders, developing dynamic financial strategies that propel our businesses to new heights. A protector and promoter of the ESSC Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP), Dan remains laser-focused on maintaining a best-in-class retirement benefit for our employee-owners.
Shawn has spent more than 35 years at ESS Companies, growing our formidable Midwest equipment fleet and operational capabilities. As Executive Vice President of Midwest Operations, he is equal parts culture advocate and facilitator. Shawn works hand-in-hand with operational leaders to develop dynamic equipment and fleet management strategies. He ensures our maintenance teams, shops and major assets are positioned to deliver big results for our clients and employee-owners.
With more than forty years in the industry — serving as a laborer, heavy equipment operator, project engineer, project manager and more — Tony Ames has vast industry and operational experience. He has constructed major infrastructure projects coast-to-coast and has led dynamic operations teams for some of the country’s largest heavy civil firms. As executive vice president for our southwest operations, Tony is a strategist and champion for ESS Companies’ westward projects, clients and performance. He works with operational leaders across Rummel Construction and Achen-Gardner Construction to position their teams for success.
Caitlyn is a dynamic strategist and cultural integrator. As Executive Vice President of Marketing & Employee-Owner Experience (EOX), she oversees enterprise marketing and helps shape the employee-owner experience across ESS Companies’ family of operating companies. Working at the holding-company level, she brings clarity and consistency to how ESSC shows up—aligning brand, communication, and culture while staying grounded in the realities of the field. Her focus is on building systems and storytelling that work for operating teams, scale with the business, and reinforce an ownership mindset at every level.
In addition to her enterprise role, Caitlyn also serves as EVP of Marketing & EOX for Emery Sapp & Sons (ESS), where her scope expands to include leadership of marketing, human resources, and talent development. At ESS, she works shoulder-to-shoulder with executive leadership to attract great people, build strong leaders, and ensure the ESS story reflects the work, the crews behind it, and the pride of employee ownership. Known for pairing strategic clarity with creative edge, Caitlyn brings a people-first, field-aware approach to everything she builds.
As Executive Vice President of Technology & Innovation for ESS Companies (ESSC), Clayton sets enterprise direction for how systems, platforms, and forward-looking capabilities support growth across the organization’s family of operating companies. Clayton focuses on scalability, security, and disciplined execution—making sure solutions create clarity, resilience, and better decision-making without slowing teams down in the field. He partners closely with executive leadership to strike the right balance between progress and practicality, keeping the business ready for what’s next while staying rooted in how work actually gets done.
In addition to his enterprise role, Clayton also serves as EVP of Technology & Business Innovation for Emery Sapp & Sons (ESS), where his scope expands to include oversight of risk management. At ESS, he works side-by-side with operations and leadership to ensure controls, processes, and infrastructure support safe, efficient, and confident field execution. Known for his steady, people-first approach, Clayton brings a pragmatic mindset to leadership—focused on accountability, durability, and building systems that crews can rely on day in and day out.
As Executive Vice President of Human Resources for ESS Companies, Vanessa sets enterprise direction for all people-related strategy across the organization’s family of operating companies. Her focus is building HR programs and practices that scale with the business while staying grounded in the realities of the field—from enterprise-wide strategy to talent development initiatives that support long-term growth. Vanessa plays a key role in advancing craft training and middle-management development, helping ensure teams have clear pathways to grow, lead, and succeed. She also supports the integration of newly acquired companies, working to make sure people have the tools, support, and clarity they need to transition into employee ownership smoothly—without disruption to crews or day-to-day operations.
In addition to her enterprise role, Vanessa also serves as EVP at Rummel Construction, where she is a member of the executive leadership team. At Rummel, she partners closely with leaders across the business to support consistency, accountability, and strong people practices that enable teams to perform at a high level. Known for her steady, people-first approach, Vanessa brings clarity, care, and practicality to how teams are supported—whether at the enterprise level or within an individual operating company.
Brandon plays a key role in shaping the financial health and strategic direction of ESS Companies. As the Executive Vice President of Finance, Brandon is responsible for planning, directing and coordinating all finance and accounting operations and initiatives. His innovative approach focuses on implementing objectives that are sustainable and scalable for future growth. Brandon’s depth of industry experience and acumen in financial operations continue to fuel ESS Companies’ long-term financial vision.
Mark directs all financial planning and analysis (FP&A) operations for ESS Companies. Equipped with decades of diverse finance experience across industries, Mark is an integral strategist who supports the health and vitality of ESSC. He partners with leadership teams to mitigate uncertainty and see beyond the numbers, developing holistic planning, budgeting and forecasting strategies that support business goals. Mark sets the direction for the FP&A team responsible for annual budgets, forecasting, business modeling and more. He acts as a key advisor to the organization, leading activities — such as M&A analyses and ESOP valuations — that support long-term scalability and sustainability goals.
In his role of Senior Vice President, Risk, Cory leads enterprise-wide strategies to identify, assess, and mitigate risk across ESS Companies. He protects the organization’s assets, reputation, and employee-owners, ensuring resilience across all subsidiaries. His collaboration with operational leaders embeds risk mitigation strategies into every phase of project execution.From operational risk to compliance and safety,Cory’s proactive approach positions the organization to manage risk while supporting growth and innovation.
Karen is a passionate and caring benefits leader for our company’s 3,000+ employee-owners. In her role as Director of Benefits, Karen manages all benefits programs, including health and retirement, ensuring they meet the needs of a diverse and growing workforce. Karen holds distinguished PHR and SHRM designations reflecting her deep expertise in human resources and benefits strategy. She is a cultural and company champion of ESSC’s most impactful benefit — the Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP). She is a recognized voice in the ESOP community and currently serves on the Executive Committee for the ESOP Association’s Heart of America Chapter, where she contributes to advancing employee ownership nationally. With a commitment to excellence and a people-first approach, Karen ensures that ESSC’s benefits programs not only support employees today but also empower their future.
Bev provides strategic legal guidance and oversight in her role as Senior Corporate Counsel. She partners with enterprise leaders to navigate complex regulatory environments and protect the organization. With a deep experience in private practice, Bev is committed to aligning legal compliance with ESSC goals, objectives, and culture. Her expertise and legal framework position the organization for success.
As Corporate Counsel, Maddie plays a critical role in supporting ESSC through all legal and compliance needs. She ensures that all subsidiaries operate in full alignment with federal, state, and local laws, protecting the integrity and reputation of the organization. Maddie serves as a trusted resource for employee-owners, providing counsel on potential legal issues and helping navigate challenges with clarity and confidence.
As Director of Marketing, Jessica leads the creative and strategic vision that shapes the ESSC brand. She oversees internal and external marketing initiatives that elevate the company’s national footprint while celebrating the unique culture of employeeownership. With a focus on amplifying thevoices of employee-owners, Jessica partners with subsidiary brands to drive campaigns that connect across the country,aligning cultures across ESSC from the ground up.
In his role as Director of Technology, Bill leads the development of technology solutions that power ESSC and support the day-to-day work of our employee-owners. He partners closely with teams across the enterprise to implement systems that streamline operations, strengthen data integration, and deliver practical tools that keep people connected, informed, and productive. With a focus on reliability, scalability, and usability, Bill ensures technology isn’t just supportive—it’s a strategic advantage across all subsidiaries.
