From the Treetop

Austin Kennedy

President and CEO

Austin Kennedy joined Wright Service Corp. as General Counsel in April 2013. Prior to joining Wright Service Corp., Austin was an attorney in private practice for seven years in Des Moines, Iowa, practicing in many areas involving employment law, immigration law and litigation. In 2019, Austin was promoted to General Counsel, Chief Human Resources Officer and Senior Vice President. Austin most recently served as the company’s President and COO for the last two years before assuming the role of President and CEO of Wright Service Corp. on October 1, 2023.

Austin graduated from Macalester College in 2000, where he received the Livingston-Patnode Award for his special contributions to the English Department. He then earned his law degree from Drake Law School in 2005. In 2015, Austin earned his Credential of Readiness from Harvard Business School’s HBX CORe program, which establishes competencies in business analytics, economics and accounting.

Jon Hicks

SVP and CFO

Jon Hicks joined Wright Service Corp. in 2008 as the controller for Wright Outdoor Solutions. In 2010, he was promoted to Controller of Wright Tree Service and in 2020 he was promoted again to Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Wright Service Corp.

Jon graduated from Iowa State as a Certified Public Accountant with a Bachelor of Science degree and a Master of Accounting degree in 2002. After graduating, Jon worked in various auditing and financial reporting roles within both public accounting and the private sector. Jon is a member of the Iowa Society of CPAs and the American Institute of CPAs. Jon is also a member of RIMS and is on the Wright Service Corp. Board of Directors.

Jon is a large advocate of ESOP structured companies. He enjoys the culture created with it that allows employees the freedom to implement change and to leave their personal mark on the company. Jon enjoys problem-solving and having the opportunity to help guide the company at a strategic level.

Loren Klein

CIO

Loren Klein began his career with Wright Service Corp. in 2016 as the Director of Information Technology before being promoted to Chief Information Officer in January 2020. During his time with the company, Loren has made impactful changes to the technology roadmap for the Wright Service Corp. family of companies – including the formation of a project management office, a mobile device fulfillment department, as well as many process and infrastructure enhancements. Loren is a key contributor for Wright Service Corp.’s IT strategy and planning processes that support our family of companies.

Loren has an extensive information technology and project management background. With more than 35 years as an IT professional, Loren oversaw several different areas within IT including application delivery for life and annuity and property and casualty products, quality assurance, infrastructure, applications delivery, telecommunications, project management, information security, and release management.

He is passionate about making an impact, building lasting relationships, and delivering value to his customer base – not a big believer in the status quo.

Derek Vannice

EVP and CSO

Derek Vannice serves as an Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer of Wright Service Corp. In addition to this role, Derek is also in executive positions for three of Wright Service Corp.’s subsidiary companies. Derek is the President and COO of CNUC and joined the company in 2011 after decades of success at two chief industry organizations, the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) and the Utility Arborist Association (UAA). He served as the primary spokesman for the utility arboriculture industry and also provided expert testimony in regulatory hearings. In his current role with CNUC, Derek oversees all CNUC long term contracts and provides on-site consulting and training with clients on an ongoing basis. Derek is responsible for Terra Spectrum Technologies, an e-planning and productivity solutions company that develops and supports software for the utility vegetation management industry. He also supports Wright Outdoor Solutions and Transcon Environmental.

In addition, Derek assists in the development of the corporate training and learning initiatives across the Wright Service Corp. family of companies, including the Leadership, Education and Development (LEAD) program and the company’s online learning management system.

Derek is a Certified True Colors facilitator and has served as a facilitator in leadership, communications and strategic planning, working with utility companies, contractors and non-profits.

Derek was the 2008 recipient of the ISA Achievement Award, the Indiana Arborist Association Lifetime Achievement Award and the 2011 recipient of the UAA President’s Award. He is currently serving as Chair of the ROW Stewardship Council, an accreditation program for best management practices in IVM on transmission ROWs. Derek holds a bachelor’s degree in forestry and a Master of Business Administration and has done independent consulting work with utilities and line clearance companies across North America.