Sean Kelleher was appointed chair of the national ESOP Association’s Advisory Committee on Finance Issues for 2025-2027.
Kelleher, a Crown Point resident, is managing director of First Financial Bank’s ESOP Finance Group.
An ESOP is an employee stock ownership plan. It serves as a trust to act as a third-party buyer of shares and a retirement benefit for employees, while also allowing business owners to diversify their wealth.
“I am honored to be asked to lead this national group of ESOP advocates, and I look forward to educating more people about the significant benefits ESOPs can offer to both employees and owners who are considering a sale of their company,” Kelleher said in a press release.
The ESOP Association educates about and advocates for employee ownership, with an emphasis on ESOPs. Kelleher will lead the finance committee in its focus on the accounting, tax and finance implications of both ESOP purchase and sale transactions.
First Financial Bancorp. is a Cincinnati, Ohio based bank holding company. The company’s subsidiary, First Financial Bank, was founded in 1863. First Financial operated 127 banking centers as of March 2025, in Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky.
