Advocating for ESOP participants & the
companies they own is our business.
Acumen Advisory Services, LLC was formed in 2016 as Kyle Spader transitioned from being an ESOP company executive to an external ESOP advisor. In 2020, Alicia Diekow joined Acumen and brings her experience as a Human Resources executive at an ESOP owned company. Transitioning from being a Chief Financial Officer at an ESOP company, Trevor Monnig was added to the Acumen team in 2023. Kyle and Trevor serve as individual trustees for numerous ESOP clients on Transaction and Ongoing engagements.
Kyle spader, President & Trustee
Kyle has obtained professional credentials as a Certified Public and Management Accountant (CPA, CMA) and a Certified Valuation Analyst (CVA). Kyle spent over a decade as an ESOP executive, internal ESOP Board member, and internal ESOP Trustee. He became the primary ESOP expert within the Company experiencing firsthand the unique aspects of leading an ESOP business. Additionally, Kyle continues to serve as an external board member for other ESOP companies. Kyle is active within the local, regional, and national ESOP networks. He regularly speaks at The ESOP Association and National Center for Employee Ownership events and periodically advocates for ESOPs at other non-ESOP association events. He is a member of the Fiduciary Committee for The ESOP Association.
TREVOR MONNIG, ESOP Trustee
Trevor spent nearly 20 years as CFO for two high-growth companies. Introduced to ESOPs in 2015, he immediately developed a passion for employee ownership. He led a 100% ESOP transaction from the CFO chair at a Missouri-based company in January 2017. Trevor gained direct experience navigating the unique aspects of an ESOP company including education of employees, compliance, valuation, and third-party administration. In 2023, he obtained professional credentials as a Certified Valuation Analyst (CVA). He serves as an external Director on multiple Boards for privately held and ESOP companies. Trevor has been active in the ESOP community at the local, regional, and national levels. He has served as President of the Heart of America Chapter of The ESOP Association, sits on the Advisory Board of the Missouri Center of Employee Ownership, and is a regular speaker at events.
Alicia diekow, Vice president operations
Alicia is Vice President of Operations and a Partner at Acumen. Her ESOP experience began in 2007 within a 100% ESOP-owned company as a senior leadership team member. This was followed by time as an Institutional Trust Officer in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and then as Chapter Administrator for three upper Midwest Chapters of The ESOP Association. Alicia is a past recipient of the Employee Owner of the Year award for the Minnesota/Dakotas Chapter. She continues to be involved in various committees for the MN/Dakotas and Wisconsin Chapters. She regularly presents on ESOP Board Governance, Communications Committees, and Culture Development topics at local, regional, and national ESOP conferences.