Jeff Ahola
CEO
Early Career & Joining the Family Business
Jeff began his career at Progressive Insurance Co., where he developed computer, management and sales skills while working in Cleveland, Los Angeles, and Atlanta. After five years in this environment of strong family leadership, he returned to Ahola in 1984 — the company founded by his parents — where he and his siblings had once helped by cleaning the office on weekends.
Education & Professional Expertise
Jeff holds a bachelor’s degree in Marketing and Computer Information Systems from The Ohio State University and an MBA in Finance from Pepperdine University. His technical background includes early programming experience with COBOL, which he learned at his father’s pioneering computer training school.
Over the years, Jeff has deepened his expertise in family enterprises through study groups led by Dr. Léon A. Danco and later by participating in the Executive MBA program for Families in Business at Kennesaw State University. He also earned a Family Business Advisor Certification from the Galliard Family Business Advisor Institute.
Leadership & Commitment to Family Business
As CEO, Jeff leads the strategic direction of the company his parents founded, helping position Ahola as a leading provider of payroll and human capital management solutions for family businesses.
Jeff remains actively involved in the family business community through initiatives such as the Family Business Forum with CRAIN’S Cleveland Business and affiliations with organizations including the Family Firm Institute, Family Enterprise USA, and Attorneys for Family-Held Enterprises.
His leadership is guided by a strong commitment to honoring his parents’ vision and continuing the legacy of a second-generation family company built over more than fifty years.
“My goal is to honor my parents’ vision and help family businesses grow for generations.”
Jeff Ahola
CEO
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