
The Rise of ESOPs: What the Midmarket Needs to Know
Oct 24, 2025
18:04
Employee stock ownerships plans (ESOPs) are experiencing a surge in popularity due to tax policy, cultural benefits, and their flexibility as a corporate finance tool. Regina Carls, managing director at J.P. Morgan and the leader of its ESOPs advisory group, sits down with the podcast to dispel common myths about ESOPs, discuss their benefits, and give actionable advice to those considering an ESOP structure, whether they be middle-market companies or their sponsors.
This episode is brought to you by GF Data, a provider of reliable, confidential data on private equity-sponsored M&A transactions in the $10 million–$500 million enterprise value range. GF Data's proprietary data is sourced directly from private equity groups and used by ESOP advisors, valuation firms, lenders, investors, and M&A advisors for benchmarking, valuation, and market analysis. Learn more at gfdata.com/ESOPs.
The Middle Market Growth Conversations podcast is produced by the Association for Corporate Growth. To hear more interviews with middle-market dealmakers and industry experts, subscribe on Soundcloud, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts.
