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Editorial Advisory Board

  • Professor Andrea M. Armani, University of Southern California
  • Ruti Ben-Shlomi, Ph.D., LightSolver
  • James Butler, Ph.D., Hamamatsu
  • Natalie Fardian-Melamed, Ph.D., Columbia University
  • Justin Sigley, Ph.D., AmeriCOM
  • Professor Birgit Stiller, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light, and Leibniz University of Hannover
  • Professor Stephen Sweeney, University of Glasgow
  • Mohan Wang, Ph.D., University of Oxford
  • Professor Xuchen Wang, Harbin Engineering University
  • Professor Stefan Witte, Delft University of Technology

ButcherJoseph & Co. Welcomes Thomas Dudley as Director in ESOP Advisory Practice

ST. LOUIS, July 23, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Saint Louis, MO, July 2025 – ButcherJoseph & Co. (“ButcherJoseph”) a boutique investment banking firm specializing in ESOPs and strategic corporate finance solutions, is pleased to welcome Thomas Dudley as a Director in its ESOP Advisory practice.

Thomas will focus on providing strategic advisory services to employee-owned companies, including ownership structure optimization, recapitalization planning, and long-term sustainability strategies. His appointment reinforces ButcherJoseph’s commitment to helping ESOP-owned businesses unlock value and build lasting legacies.

“We are thrilled to welcome Thomas to the ButcherJoseph team,” said Joe Strycharz, Managing Partner at ButcherJoseph. “He brings a rare combination of experience in employee ownership, analytical depth, and passion for building purpose-driven businesses. His background and expertise will be instrumental in supporting our ESOP clients as they navigate growth and sustainability.”

Prior to joining ButcherJoseph, Thomas was the founding CEO of Certified Employee-Owned (Certified EO), the national certification program for employee-owned companies. Under his leadership, Certified EO established the national standard for what it means to be “employee-owned” and grew its network to over 700 companies. Thomas worked closely with executives and employee owners across industries to foster ownership cultures and elevate employee engagement.

Thomas began his career at Bain & Company, advising Fortune 500 clients on strategy, organizational transformation, and performance improvement. He holds a B.S. in Physics and a B.A. in Mathematics from the University of Virginia, and he completed doctoral coursework in Organizational Behavior at Stanford Graduate School of Business, earning an M.S. in Statistics.

“I’ve spent my career working to advance employee ownership as a powerful business model and social movement,” Thomas said. “Joining ButcherJoseph allows me to expand that mission by helping ESOP-owned companies align their capital, culture, and strategy for long-term success.”

Thomas will lead a national initiative to engage mature ESOP-owned companies seeking recapitalization and sustainability planning. He will also represent ButcherJoseph at several upcoming industry conferences, including the NCEO Fall Forum and TEA Midwest Regional Conference.

About ButcherJoseph & Co.
ButcherJoseph & Co. is a boutique investment banking firm specializing in sale transactions to strategic and financial buyersemployee ownership transactions (ESOPs), capital advisory (debt & equity), and valuations and fairness opinions for privately held businesses. ButcherJoseph is headquartered in St. Louis with a presence in Chicago, Washington, D.C., Miami, Philadelphia, Austin, Charlotte, and Scottsdale.

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Contact For ButcherJoseph & Co.:
Jack Thurston
VP, Head of Marketing 
ButcherJoseph & Co.
6 Cardinal Way, Suite 801
St. Louis, MO 63102
PH: 314-342-9786
Email:  jack.thurston@butcherjoseph.com
http://www.butcherjoseph.com

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