Ethan P. Stambler

Ethan advises company owners, founders, management teams and other stakeholders on developing and implementing business ownership transitions, with a particular focus on ESOP transactions. He has a depth of knowledge in identifying and facilitating employee ownership strategies that enable mutually beneficial financial, strategic and organizational outcomes. Beyond his work with clients, Ethan shares his expertise with investment, nonprofit, industry, business advisors, and other organizations to help them identify ways in which employee ownership can be utilized to achieve the economic and non-economic objectives that are important to their stakeholders.

Ethan brings more than two decades of experience helping to lead financial, operational and business growth strategies across diverse sectors. He is skilled in developing solutions that have assisted asset managers, investment owners and their stakeholders in achieving their objectives. This work has spanned a wide range of investment strategies and structures across private equity, private credit, real estate and real asset markets.

Prior to joining SES ESOP Strategies, Ethan held senior positions with International Farming Corporation (an agriculture-focused private equity firm) and PineBridge Investments. Earlier in his career, he held roles in investment banking with Merrill Lynch, strategy consulting with McKinsey & Co. and private equity with Advent International.

Ethan is a Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA®).

Selected Publications

• Author, “U.S. Federal Funding Unlocks $100 Billion Opportunity,” Impact Entrepreneur, May 2024
• Author, “How Private Equity Can Leverage Workforce Innovations,” Impact Entrepreneur, November 2022

Selected Speaking Engagements

• “Building an Exit, Securing a Legacy: How ESOPs Can Solve for Ownership Succession for Construction Companies,” Wellbuilt Consulting Webinar and Podcast, April 13, 2026
• “The Expanding Lower Middle-Market Opportunity for ESOPs,” Association for Corporate Growth Piedmont Triad Network, Greensboro, NC, March 19, 2026
• “Preserving Local Economies and Communities During Business Ownership Transitions & The Potential Role of ESOPs,” Rotary Clubs across North Carolina, 2025-2026
• “ESOPs as a Business Succession Solution For Construction Related Companies,” Construction Finance Management Association – Triangle Chapter, Cary, NC, September 17, 2025
• “Employee Stock Ownership Plans,” Employee Ownership Ambassador Program, North Carolina Employee Ownership Center (NCEOC), 2025, 2026 Program Cohorts
• “Employee Stock Ownership Plans,” Exit Planning Exchange (XPX) – Triangle Chapter, Raleigh, NC, April 3, 2025
• “SBCN Webinar – ESOP Deep Dive 2025,” NC Small Business Center Network (SBCN) and North Carolina Employee Ownership Center (NCEOC), August 19, 2025

Affiliations

• North Carolina Employee Ownership Center
  • Government Affairs Committee
  • Service Provider Committee
• The Exit Planning Institute, Raleigh-Durham Chapter Leadership Team
• The Exit Planning Exchange Triangle Chapter Programming Committee
• National Center for Employee Ownership
• The ESOP Association
• Association for Corporate Growth
  • Raleigh Durham and Piedmont Triad Chapters