A Moment of Clarity: Announcing Jason Zipprian as FSG’s Next CEO

Every great institution has moments that define its future, moments when the path forward becomes clear.

Forty-three years ago, the founders of Facility Solutions Group experienced one of those moments when they set out to build a new lighting company in San Antonio, Texas. They weren’t simply looking to build another business. They wanted to build something more, something bigger, something lasting. They wanted to build an institution dedicated to timeless contribution and service.

From that passion came a simple idea: when people are given an opportunity, a chance to grow, and the support of a strong team, they can achieve far more than they ever imagined. This idea was so clear to FSG’s first leaders that they chose to document their vision and mission in what would become known as the FSG Constitution.

More than 40 years have passed since that document was written. In that time, thousands of people have worked tirelessly across multiple lines of business and many locations to bring that original vision to life. It is because of that shared commitment, from so many people over so many years, that FSG stands today as a successful and growing institution.

Thinking About the Next Generation

As FSG has continued to grow, leadership has remained focused on a central responsibility: ensuring that the institution being built today will thrive for the next generation.

Recently, Bill Graham, FSG’s CEO, began reflecting on his own role in that story and what his role should look like going forward. Wanting to make more time for family and to hand off leadership to the next group of people prepared to carry it, Bill and the Board of Directors and Executive Board began the work of identifying FSG’s next CEO.

In a practical sense, the right candidate needed to be capable of leading a complex, growing organization with a strong understanding of how the business works. But beyond business acumen, FSG’s next CEO needed to possess a deep understanding of the mission and vision that have guided the company for 43 years, and the ability to nurture and preserve them.

As conversations continued, something became increasingly clear: for FSG to continue thriving as an institution dedicated to timeless contribution and service, the next leader needed to be someone who didn’t just understand what that meant, but someone who had lived it. Someone who had been an institution builder. One of the thousands of people who had worked tirelessly to bring FSG to where it is today.

The right leader for the next chapter of FSG was already part of the institution.

Steve Byrne, Board Member and one of FSG’s founders, called this realization “another moment of clarity,” much like the one he experienced with his fellow founders more than four decades ago.

The Story Behind the Appointment

The leader who possessed both the business capability and the character required to lead FSG was someone the company already knew well.

As a tenured FSG employee of more than 30 years, he began his career with the company as an apprentice electrician, learning the trade in the field alongside crews and foremen who helped shape his early years. From apprentice to journeyman, he took every opportunity available to grow.

He worked full days on the job and spent his evenings attending night classes at a local college, where he earned a bachelor’s degree and ultimately an MBA. As a young husband and father working full-time and putting himself through school, he often arrived to class exhausted. To make sure he didn’t miss what he needed to learn, he would record his professors’ lectures and listen to them through headphones the next day at work while bending pipe and pulling wire.

Over the years, he held several roles at FSG: sales, project management, team leadership, regional leadership as a Vice President, and eventually executive leadership as Chief Operating Officer. Along the way, he built a reputation for running strong businesses and developing even stronger people. He consistently attributes success not to himself, but to the teams around him.

Introducing Jason Zipprian, FSG’s Next CEO

It is with all of this in mind that FSG is proud to announce Jason Zipprian as the next Chief Executive Officer of Facility Solutions Group.

When asked about what comes next, Jason put it simply:

“My passion is growth. Growing this company, growing our people, and making sure that anyone who walks in the door at FSG can see a real path forward and future for themselves. The best we’ve ever done isn’t going to be good enough for what we need to do in the next 40 years. That excites me. We have everything we need for success: the people, the foundation, and the mission to guide it. I can’t wait to build what comes next together.”

While his professional resume is impressive, Jason’s personal story is equally so. A dedicated husband and father of five, it doesn’t take long in conversation with him to understand what matters most. When asked what his wife thinks of this new opportunity, he was quick to give her credit for encouraging him in his pursuits and made clear just how central she is to everything he does.

In many ways, Jason’s journey at FSG is a direct reflection of the company’s own vision and mission: to provide excellent jobs, satisfying careers, and a foundation for unlimited achievement for the people who make up the company.

In the coming weeks and months, Jason and his family will relocate from Corpus Christi to Austin, Texas, where FSG has committed to keeping its corporate headquarters. Jason, along with his executive leadership team, will also oversee the construction of a new corporate office on FSG-owned land just south of downtown Austin.

Bill Graham: Chairman of the Board and CFO

Bill Graham will continue to serve FSG as Chairman of the Board of Directors and as Chief Financial Officer. Reflecting on Jason’s appointment, Bill said:

“I have every confidence that Jason has both the capability to lead the business and the character to protect the heart of the institution, the part that makes FSG what it is.”

Jeremy Ripley Steps into the Role of COO of Construction

Alongside Jason’s appointment, Jeremy Ripley will step into the role of Chief Operating Officer of Construction, the position previously held by Jason.

Much like Jason’s story, Jeremy knows what it means to build something from the ground up. From his early days as an electrician to his most recent role as Executive Vice President of Construction, Jeremy has never shied away from an opportunity to build a better institution for the people around him. He is known as a strong voice in executive leadership for preserving and protecting what makes FSG great.

Jeremy recently reflected on what this moment means for the people of FSG:

“Many employees want to know if the company they’re helping to build today will still be here tomorrow. The answer is yes. The work being done across FSG today is building something that will endure for decades to come.”

What This Moment Means

Leadership transitions are important moments in any company, but at FSG, they are reminders of something deeper. This institution has always been about more than the work we do. FSG has always been about the people who build the company, day by day, year by year.

May Jason and Jeremy’s journeys serve as powerful reminders of what this company was built to do: create opportunity, and be an institution that continually contributes to others for generations to come.