Employee Stock Ownership Plans

Danielle Montesano

Managing Director, ESOP Advisory Group

Danielle Montesano is a Managing Director in the ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Plan) Advisory Group. She has more than 25 years of experience advising on ESOP-related matters including financing, structuring, implementing, administering and valuing employee-owned securities in both public and private ESOP transactions. Her expertise focuses on transactional fiduciary and board compliance, governance and executive compensation.

Danielle began her career as an ERISA attorney and served as an institutional fiduciary for more than 15 years with two large national trust companies. Prior to joining J.P. Morgan, she was a Managing Director in the Corporate Finance Group at Kroll, formerly Duff & Phelps, where she advised ESOP companies on M&A and overall capital strategies. She also served as an expert fiduciary witness, providing analysis in lawsuits alleging ERISA fiduciary breaches by trustees and directors. She currently serves as a board member for ESOP-owned companies.

Danielle is a frequent speaker and is nationally recognized for her expertise. She was appointed as an ESCA (Employee Owned S Corporations of America) Advisory Board member. She is also a member of the ESOP Association, based in Washington, D.C., and was the past chairperson of the Legislative and Regulatory Committee and served on the Board of Governors.

Danielle holds a Juris Doctorate from Loyola University Chicago School of Law and is licensed by FINRA with a Series 79 and Series 63.