Building ESOP Governance Confidence: Introducing the ESOP Governance Essentials Certificate Task Force

The newly launched ESOP Governance Essentials Certificate Task Force is expanding PDA’s efforts to equip members with the knowledge and tools needed to serve on ESOP company boards. Evolved from an earlier committee, the task force now oversees the course curriculum and is broadening its reach through new educational content, thought leadership, and community engagement initiatives.

“Our goal is to provide broad-level education for PDA members and help them build a strong foundation,” said Steve Ryan, Chair of the Task Force. “There’s a lot more to learn—but here’s a place to start.”

With contributions from ESOP governance experts and partnerships like the one with the National Center for Employee Ownership (NCEO), the task force aims to make a lasting impact on the ESOP community. 

Formally launched in 2025, the ESOP Governance Essentials Certificate Task Force evolved from an earlier committee and now oversees the ESOP Governance Essentials Course curriculum and program management. While the original committee’s goals were similar, the task force structure allows for a more strategic approach. “I broke the task force out into pillars. That way, people have clear tasks they can execute, and it helps us stay focused and engaged,” said Steve Ryan, Chair of the Task Force and member of PDA’s Chicago Chapter.

The task force is now expanding the program’s scope—developing additional resources, educational programming, and building greater visibility within the ESOP company community. “The goal is to provide broad-level education for people who are part of the PDA community to gain essential knowledge,” Ryan explained. “There’s a lot more to learn—but here’s a place to start.”

Four Pillars of Impact

The task force’s work is organized around four key pillars:

• Expanding Educational Content – A cornerstone of the initiative, this includes recorded content, webinars, and live discussions on core ESOP governance topics such as fiduciary responsibility, valuation, and trustee oversight.

• Thought Leadership – Through blogs and written insights, the task force is working to spotlight experienced voices from the ESOP ecosystem.

• Program Evolution – While the initial course provides a strong foundation (think “ESOP 101”), future plans include developing more advanced modules to help learners gain deeper knowledge.

• Community Engagement – Central to the task force’s mission is creating opportunities for ongoing learning, such as quarterly alumni calls, peer mentoring, and strengthened collaboration with the National Center for Employee Ownership (NCEO)—PDA’s partner in producing the course.

The task force’s goals are ambitious, but Ryan envisions achieving them over time. “It’s hard to accomplish all that in a year,” he said. “The way I look at this—if we do better this year than we did last year, and better next year than this year—that incremental improvement will make us effective.”

Who Should Participate?

The certificate program is particularly well-suited for early-career professionals, prospective board members, and anyone seeking to better understand the governance dynamics of employee-owned companies. “Think of it as a big pond that’s a mile wide and two inches deep,” said Ryan. “It gives people an introduction—broad exposure to the fundamentals—but encourages them to go deeper over time.”