MSP 501 Lifetime Achievement Winners: Morgan, Medwed, Ruggeri

MSP SUMMIT — Mitch Morgan, Neil Medwed and Sam Ruggeri – MSP luminaries with more than 100 years of combined experience – received Lifetime Achievement awards to cap the MSP 501 Gala, the pinnacle of this week's MSP Summit in Atlanta.

Unlike the other MSP 501 Special Awards, there were no finalists announced in advance for Lifetime Achievement. New Charter Technologies chairman Morgan, Meriplex VP Medwed and LincolnIT VP Ruggeri were taken by surprise, making for an emotional night.

Lifetime Achievement Winner: Mitch Morgan

“This is for the industry and for the channel,” Morgan said of the Lifetime Achievement award. “What I hope I've contributed, and what I hope New Charter has contributed, is we've shown how to have a private investment model that treats people right, that has integrity, that treats the business owners as true partners. And frankly, I think a lot of the other platforms have listened and taken note. I think they've upped their game, and I think they're treating our really hard-earned equity as something that's valuable to them. So I hope we contribute that to the industry.”

There were plenty of hugs to go around for Lifetime Achievement Award Winner Mitch Morgan at the MSP 501 Gala, 2024 MSP Summit, Atlanta, Sept. 18. Photo courtesy: Action Event Photography LLC

Morgan founded New Charter in 2019 with private equity firm Oval Partners. New Charter has acquired 27 MSPs, allowing their original owners to retain leadership of their companies and retain employees and clients. Morgan served as CEO until February.

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New Charter MSPs are spread throughout the 2024 MSP 501 list, including Apex Technology Management, ActiveCo, DCG Technical Solutions, CTSI, Complete Technology Solutions, Braver Technology Solutions, Olmec Systems, Greystone Technology, The Tech Group, Adnet Technologies and Strategic Solutions. New Charter ranked No. 235 on the 2024 MSP 501.

Before starting New Charter, Morgan directed a consultancy focused on improving MSP businesses and completed 21 MSP acquisitions. As vice president at IKON, he managed a $500 million technology services division with more than 2,000 employees. He also founded and grew his own IT services company, which was eventually acquired. In his role as general manager of Heartland Marketplace for IKON, Morgan oversaw a $100 million P&L and led a team of 110 sales representatives across four states.

At the Gala, Morgan reflected on his 34 years in the industry. He talked about how his idea to build a company like New Charter failed several times before it all came together the way he envisioned.

“And each time it failed, I picked myself up, dusted myself off and said, ‘I have passion for this. This is the right thing. I know it's going to work. I kept on going,'” he said.

Current New Charter CEO Peter Melby introduced Morgan at the Gala.              

New Charter's Peter Melby

“I had the honor of replacing Mitch at New Charter,” Melby said. “When I took the role, he told me, ‘Do great. Please don't think this is about me. Don't embarrass me. Don't talk about me a lot.’ And I break the rule for that commitment every chance I can. It’s difficult to describe Mitch in just a few words. He has passion for life and for business that resonates with all around him, unwavering dedication to his career, an ability to inspire others.”

Lifetime Achievement Winner: Neil Medwed

Medwed, VP of corporate development and M&A for Meriplex, has been in the MSP and VAR business for more than 40 years. He owned MSP Preferred Technology Solutions in Dallas for 26 years before selling the company to Meriplex in 2020. He has since helped Meriplex acquire 11 more MSPs throughout the United States. He has also been an active board member for channel and other business organizations.

Meriplex was No. 50 on the 2024 MSP 501.

Lifetime Achievement Award Winner Neil Medwed poses with longtime friend Greg Starr at the MSP 501 Awards Gala, 2024 MSP Summit, Atlanta, Sept. 18. Photo courtesy: Action Event Photography LLC

The normally loquacious Medwed was nearly at a loss for words when surprised with the award.

“I am crying right now,” he said when accepting the award. “I love the friendships. I love the company I work with, but most importantly I love helping each and every one of you succeed, avoid mistakes and have successes. This means so much to me.”

He punctuated his short speech with an energetic “Yes!” shout.

Greg Starr, Meriplex’s channel manager, introduced Medwed. He praised him for his business intelligence and a willingness to help both co-workers and others in the MSP business.

“He has always challenged the status quo,” Starr said of his colleague. “He never just goes along with the crowd, and he has never believed good is good enough.

“After selling his company to Meriplex, he has pushed himself to become an industry expert on mergers and acquisitions to help other business owners, create their own exit strategies," Starr added.

Lifetime Achievement winner: Sam Ruggeri

Before joining LincolnIT as VP of business development and strategic partnerships, Ruggeri was EVP of global sales and strategic alliances at True Digital Security, which Cerberus acquired in 2022. He founded Advanced Vision Technology Group in 2002 and built it from a traditional IT company to an MSP with annual recurring sales revenue of $1.8 million before merging with True Digital Security.

LincolnIT ranked No. 284 on the 204 MSP 501.

MSP 501 Lifetime Achievement Award Winner Sam Ruggeri accepts his hardware from Informa Tech Channels VP of Content, Events, Robert DeMarzo, 2024 MSP Summit, Sept. 18. Photo courtesy: Action Event Photography LLC

Ruggeri has spent his career building MSP organizations and serving the security and technical needs of clients. He has played a pivotal role in helping to advance the channel by developing peer-based groups on behalf of distributors and leading technology suppliers.

“This isn’t about me; it’s about family, community and everything that we do,” Ruggeri said in accepting the Lifetime Achievement award. “I've been in IT my whole left. I don’t know anything else. I’m really humbled right now.”

Ruggeri added he was “totally caught off guard and completely floored,” in a LinkedIn post after the Gala.

“I was completely blown away, honored and deeply humbled to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award at the MSP 501 Channel Futures Gala. It was an incredible experience, especially knowing that the other recipients, Neil Medwed and Mitch Morgan, were individuals I would have enthusiastically voted for,” he wrote on LinkedIn.

“You see, I’m usually the one advocating for others, ensuring people get recognized for the great work they do, especially in our IT channel communities," he added. "This time, I got a strong dose of my own medicine. I am so grateful to those who deemed me worthy of this prestigious recognition.”

Len DiCostanzo, CEO of MSP Toolkit, introduced his close friend Ruggeri and described him as “a true legend, an industry leader, an entrepreneur who is known and respected for thought leadership on cybersecurity, managed services, technology solutions and caring for clients and employees. A champion for all the channels. He has spent his career living in MSP organizations and serving the security and technology needs of his clients.”