Matthew Hricko is part of the ESOP & ERISA Advisory group, where he leverages nearly two decades of financial advisory experience to provide investment banking and valuation consulting services to companies and trustees primarily for corporate finance and shareholder planning purposes. More specifically, Matthew has built expertise on projects involving interests held by Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs), including consulting and analyses related to formation, sell-side transaction advisory, determination of transaction fairness, and annual valuations. Having worked on approximately 1,000 projects in his career, he brings extensive public and private experience to the firm.
Drawing from advisory experience, Matthew served on the board of directors of Westland Resources. His role included guiding the executive team in the refinement of corporate strategy and financial goals. Along with the other outside directors, Matthew’s role was focused on enhancing corporate governance processes, improving risk management tools, and working on external audit and valuation processes. The board of directors guided a transformation from a founder-owned consultancy into a growth-oriented ESOP organization, ultimately leading to a partnership with a private equity-backed strategic acquirer to ensure scalable future expansion.
In addition to his practical experience, Matthew has authored articles and presented at professional conferences on a variety of topics, involving ESOPs, board governance, valuation and various transaction structures. Prior to joining Stout, Matthew worked at ArcelorMittal in treasury and strategy roles.
Select Publications
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Staying Private: Liquidity Options for Entrepreneurial Companies December 2014
Chapter 4: Private Equity and ESOP's: A Creative Combination
Select Presentations and Speeches
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The ESOP Association Las Vegas Conference and Trade Show November 2017
Designing Executive Benefits in ESOP Companies
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Outside Equity in S Corp ESOP Companies November 2017
The ESOP Association’s Las Vegas Conference
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Understanding Financial Statements and Communicating Value October 2017
3rd Annual Great Lakes ESOP Association Regional Conference
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Suggestions for Communicating the Annual Valuation, Financial Performance and Plan Changes September 2017
Midwest ESOP Association Conference
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Current ESOP Deal Structures April 2017
The 31th Annual Ohio Employee Ownership Conference
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The ESOP Association's Las Vegas Conference and Trade Show November 2016
Current ESOP Transaction Structuring Issues: How Much is Too Much?
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National Center for Employee Ownership S Corporation ESOP Seminar September 2016
S Corporations - Traps for the Unwary
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The 30th Annual Ohio Employee Ownership Conference April 2016
Selling Your Company to Your Employees via an ESOP
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National Center for Employee Ownership ESOP Symposium October 2015
Valuation Issues for Mature ESOPs
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National Center for Employee Ownership July 2015 Webinar
Is an ESOP Right for You?
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Ohio Employee Ownership Conference, the outreach center of Kent State University April 2015
Emerging Trends in ESOPs
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National Center for Employee Ownership Webinar Series July 2012
Valuation Challenges for Ongoing ESOPs
Practice Areas
Focus Industries
Education
Kellstadt Graduate School of Business at DePaul University and University of Akron, M.B.A.
University of Akron, B.S.
Licenses & Designations
FINRA (Series 79)
FINRA (Series 63)
Professional Memberships
National Center for Employee Ownership (NCEO)
ESOP Association, Finance Committee
Association for Corporate Growth, Sponsorship Committee of the Board of Directors
Community Engagement
Board of Directors of the First Tee of Cleveland