Our People
Our people blend multifaceted experience, talents, and perspectives to drive growth and ROI for the organizations we serve.
Our Leadership Team leads our organization toward strategic goals and inspires our people to realize their potential.
Greg Ward
President, NewGround CanadaGreg Ward
President, NewGround CanadaGreg Ward
President, NewGround CanadaAs President, Greg is responsible for our overall operations, new business development, architectural planning, design, and management for NewGround’s Canadian operations. For over two decades, he has led NewGround Canada, developing lasting relationships with credit unions from coast to coast. Always looking forward, Greg is passionate about driving innovation in architecture, design, and strategy for financial institutions. Greg’s hobbies include cooking at home, cycling, rowing, reading, and SCUBA diving.
Jeff Ensweiler
SVP, Business DevelopmentJeff Ensweiler
SVP, Business DevelopmentJeff Ensweiler
SVP, Business DevelopmentJeff is responsible for leading, training, hiring, and developing our Sales Team at NewGround. His role involves strategizing opportunities, managing territories, and anything that helps support our sales team in their efforts. He is passionate about helping our sales team develop, and his favorite part of his role is seeing them succeed. In his spare time, Jeff enjoys playing guitar, golf, boxing, cooking, and spending time with his family. Jeff is the proud husband of Allison and father to Roman.
Kevin Blair
President + CEOKevin Blair
President + CEOKevin Blair
President + CEOKevin is a hands-on leader who prefers to spend his time on the front lines of our business at NewGround. He is responsible for setting the strategic vision of our company and leading our management team to execute that strategy. As a thought leader in our industry, Kevin is a sought-after speaker and has become a well-regarded industry futurist on retail delivery and corporate experience trends. Kevin is driven to ignite transformation in our clients’ organizations and to lead our integrated delivery team to create dynamic, differentiating experiences that drive growth and achieve success. In his free time, Kevin pursues active hobbies such as running, sailing, SCUBA diving, mountain climbing, and backpacking.
Mary Weidenbenner
SVP, Human ResourcesMary Weidenbenner
SVP, Human ResourcesMary Weidenbenner
SVP, Human ResourcesAs Vice President of Human Resources, Mary provides leadership for all HR functions, including—but not limited to—benefits, policies and procedures, employee relations, talent acquisition, and training. Mary leads her team to take a customer service approach to human resources, making employees feel comfortable with the HR team in every interaction. Mary is passionate about engaging with employees and building lasting relationships with all members of the NewGround Team. She loves everything outdoors with her family, from snow skiing to water skiing. She is also an accomplished SCUBA diver, having won a SCUBA spearfishing contest by bringing in a 26-pound catfish! Mary’s absolute favorite way to spend her free time outdoors is watching her son play baseball.
Mike Crane
SVP ConstructionMike Crane
SVP ConstructionMike Crane
SVP ConstructionWith over 17 years of international retail project management, real estate services, and multi-family residential construction, Mike’s role with NewGround manages all functions of project management and implementation, and leads the business unit to achieve company objectives for growth, revenue, and profitability.
After serving our country in Afghanistan, Kosovo, and Germany as a US Army Captain and a recipient of the Bronze Star for meritorious service, Mike now resides in Chicago with his wife Jen, their three children, Connor, Kellen, and Vivienne, and their two fur babies, Indy and Evie. Much of his free time is spent at his kids’ events, coaching their football and baseball teams, and keeping them active. Chicago Bears and Cubs games are enjoyed frequently, but Army football is a weekly Saturday priority.
Randy Choplin
Senior Vice President, HospitalityRandy Choplin
Senior Vice President, HospitalityRandy Choplin
Senior Vice President, HospitalityRandy is a seasoned veteran of the Hospitality Industry, with over 30 Years of experience, with a deep history in Technology Infrastructure and Hotel Design and Construction. He is tasked with Driving Newground’s Hospitality and Retail Services Division’s strategic vision and growth. Randy has a proven track record for building teams and programs across multiple facets of the Hospitality Industry, with a successful record for growth and acquisition leadership. In his free time, he loves spending time with his wife, three daughters, and Grand Puppy in nature on the trail and in the water of the North Carolina Coast.
Scott Florini
VP, StrategyScott Florini
VP, StrategyScott Florini
VP, StrategyScott oversees all Strategy services at NewGround, which includes developing in-depth market and economic studies, workplace strategies, and feasibility analyses. The Strategy Team conducts field work, on-site Discovery sessions, and collaborates with NewGround’s Design and Environmental Teams to provide the best facility solutions for clients. Scott has over 25 years of experience in consulting for financial institutions and is driven to solve problems and share knowledge with our customers and team members. Scott has a knack for remembering places, directions, and geography, and when traveling he tries to visit as many historical sites as possible! In his spare time, Scott also enjoys playing golf and watching baseball.
Susan Fischer
Director of Interior DesignSusan Fischer
Director of Interior DesignSusan Fischer
Director of Interior DesignSusan is a Registered Interior Designer with more than 15 years in commercial interior design experience within the financial, corporate, retail, and hospitality sectors. As the Director of Interior Design, she proudly manages a team of highly talented Interior Designers. Susan provides oversight on all interior design projects and maintains high design standards for herself and the team. Susan challenges the status quo by pushing herself and the team to create extraordinary spaces that reinforce company culture, drive brand loyalty, and improve employee well-being. In her spare time, Susan enjoys attending art fairs, festivals and exploring local parks with her family and their dog. When time is available for self-care, Susan found a passion for Krav Maga and is always training towards her next belt level.
Vince Winkeler
SVP, Information TechnologyVince Winkeler
SVP, Information TechnologyVince Winkeler
SVP, Information TechnologyVince is responsible for overseeing the end-to-end technology for our entire organization and managing our Information Technology portfolio of investments, including infrastructure, software development, and security. He is instrumental in providing our employees with the latest technology to help our clients experience conceptual design. Vince is passionate about learning and passing along knowledge to others to help them work more efficiently and grow. Outside of the office, Vince enjoys photography, the St. Louis Blues, and attending the Indianapolis 500, which he has done every year since 1992.
Let’s discuss your vision.
Progressing from aspiration to reality starts with a conversation.
Connect