Greg Praske and Steve Praske assume board-level roles; Mike Shonholz moves into the CEO role, and James Larsen becomes President.
McLean, Va., January 10, 2024 – ARG today announced that it is entering a new chapter with the appointment of Greg Praske and Steve Praske to board-level roles within the organization. Mike Shonholz, ARG’s Chief Revenue Officer, is being elevated to CEO, and James Larsen, Chief Operating Officer, is assuming the role of President.
“I’m very proud of what we built as a team at ARG over the past 32 years,” said Greg Praske, Chairman of ARG. “Today, we’re advising over 4,000 clients to help them make the best decisions for their businesses. Our team of 100+ extremely experienced and caring people includes some the industry’s top product experts, analysts, implementation managers, advisors, and relationship managers. This business is truly built to last.”
“Mike Shonholz is the most talented leader I’ve met in my career; he is the right person to take the reins and accelerate ARG to greater heights. He’ll have the privilege of having James Larsen by his side, somebody who successfully built and exited multiple businesses in our industry as a founder and CEO. They will be backed by a seasoned executive team, including Heather Campbell, Justin Praske, Katie Brandt, Steve Kopp, and Jim Begley, along with a very competent leadership group. I truly can’t wait to see the future of ARG with this team running things.”
“As board members, Steve and I want to be available to Mike and James to bring our experience and insights to them. But, quite honestly, we’ve already seen how they can take ARG to a level beyond anything we’ve experienced in our past.”
“As pioneers of the agent channel, Greg and Steve have played a significant role in shaping and influencing the industry for over 30 years,” said Mike Shonholz, CEO of ARG. “I’m excited about the next phase of ARG. I don’t believe there’s a better executive team anywhere. We have tremendous momentum coming off two of the best quarters in our history while also significantly increasing our pipeline of future engagements.”
Focus on the Enterprise Creates New Opportunity
ARG’s strategy remains the same and will continue to execute its three-part strategy. First, by helping their clients procure the best technology and accelerate their time to value through a world-class client experience organization. Second, ARG will continue to look for growth-minded agencies to acquire strategically. Third, ARG will continue to invest in capable enterprise consulting resources looking for a platform to deliver greater value to their clients.
“Over the last several years, ARG has continued increasing its focus on the enterprise. Large enterprises need a trusted advisor just as much, if not more, than their SMB counterparts,” said Shonholz. “The depth and breadth of talent and resources we have at ARG puts us in a unique position to take advantage of all of the growth opportunities in our industry.”
Explosive Growth in Managed IT & Security
ARG is continuing to expand its solution sets in all aspects of IT to meet client demand. The largest year-over-year increase in client engagement is for better-managed IT and security solutions. Organizations of all sizes need to generate greater business value, create optionality while they navigate uncertain financial times, and take advantage of the rapidly evolving technology landscape.
“Many businesses operate in either a fast mode, focusing on innovation and growth, or a slow mode, prioritizing efficiency and profitability,” said James Larsen, President of ARG. “In today’s environment, successful companies must now balance both modes and make strategic decisions while managing costs.”
Customer Experience Remains a Top Priority
What really sets ARG apart is its focus on our customers’ success and accelerating value realization. “ARG matches the most comprehensive customer experience platform with data-driven insight and advice to navigate the immense choice and take advantage of the opportunity that exists for business leaders,” said Larsen. “Our proven engagement methodology, tools, resources, talented staff, and engineering expertise are an increasingly important and powerful way to deliver measurable business outcomes for tangible results.”
About ARG
There are two problems in the IT market; the first is the overwhelming choice, and the second is the pace of change. Companies are afraid of making the wrong choice or not choosing the latest technology because they are simply not aware of it. For 32 years, ARG has helped over 4,000 companies make the right choice from thousands of options and bleeding-edge new products. We call it IT Clarity – our clients call it brilliant. To learn more about ARG, contact info@myarg.com.