Chris Wendland
The VGM Group has promoted Chris Wendland to the new position of Chief Legal Officer.
In a March 31 news announcement, the member services organization said Wendland — a graduate of Harvard University and the University of Iowa College of Law — “will oversee all legal matters for VGM Group, ensuring compliance and providing strategic legal guidance to support the company’s growth and innovation.”
Wendland, who has worked with VGM’s business units and founders for more than 25 years, has also joined the organization’s senior leadership team. Prior to his promotion, Wendland was VGM’s legal counsel.
When VGM established employee ownership of the organization in 2008, Wendland became the secretary on VGM’s board of directors. He has also provided private practice legal services for business, real estate, municipal and estate planning clients for 30 years.
“Chris’s extensive experience and deep understanding of our company, our values, and the industries we serve make him the perfect fit for this role,” said VGM Group CEO Jeremy Stolz. “VGM has an ongoing responsibility to our customers, our more than 1,600 employee owners, and the communities we call home, and we’re fortunate to have an expert like him helping guide our team.”
“I have been truly honored to work with VGM for the past 25 years,” Wendland said. “As a 100% employee-owned company, VGM is unlike any company I’ve ever worked with. I am excited to take on this new role and continue supporting VGM’s mission — to provide exceptional services to our customers and partners, to make a difference in our communities, and to create life-changing wealth for our employee owners.”
