Leadership Spotlight: 10 Questions for Son Vann
1. You’ve built a career spanning credit analysis, equity research, corporate development, and finance — all of which led you into investor-facing roles. What moments or experiences steered you toward investor relations, and why did Legence feel like the right next step?
My career has taken me through various foundational areas, which help develop a well-rounded perspective and prepared me for working directly with investors. Along the way, I’ve been fortunate to work with some incredibly talented, forward-thinking leaders who emphasized the importance of understanding not just what we do, but why we do it in every discipline. What drew me to investor relations was the chance to combine these diverse experiences and help shape how a company communicates its value to the broader market. Joining Legence offered a unique opportunity to meaningfully contribute at a pivotal moment, as the company transitions to operating as a public company.
2. You’ve worked within both public and private companies. From your perspective, what are the biggest differences between the two regarding financial strategy?
From my perspective, the biggest difference is how each type of company balance immediate results with long-term objectives. Public companies are under constant scrutiny from shareholders and regulators, who expect transparent financial reporting and consistent quarterly performance. This often leads to a heightened emphasis on delivering reliable short-term outcomes. The most effective public companies are those that can navigate the need to meet short-term expectations while still remaining a commitment to their broader, long-term vision. In contrast, private companies generally have more freedom to concentrate on longer-term goals and strategic initiatives, without the same level of outside oversight or shareholder demands. As a result, they oftentimes have more flexibility in how to allocate resources and manage risk.
3. You’re regularly in conversations with investors and potential investors. What are the most common questions or concerns they have, and how do you help communicate our value and direction as a public company?
Investors are often interested in understanding the resiliency of our business model, growth trajectory, and potential risks to our competitive position and financial performance. Institutional investors also like to compare our company to others in the same line of work as Legence. Common concerns include how company or industry specifics events, macroeconomic trends, market volatility, and regulatory changes can affect the company’s near and long term prospects. In addressing investors, it is important to articulate a balanced and consistent message around our strategy, operational strengths, value proposition and long-term direction.
4. Every company has strengths that resonate strongly with the investment community. What do you see as Legence’s biggest competitive advantage right now?
Right now, many investors would say it is our strong position in the data center market, where our technical expertise in mission critical MEP systems enables us to better capitalize on the substantial growth opportunities in this market. Over the long term, I think our biggest competitive advantage and differentiator is our integrated offering of engineering combined with installation and maintenance services. Though still in the early innings of our cross-selling learning curve, the results from these efforts are already making a positive impact on our financial performance. As this initiative matures, I suspect it will become a larger driver of growth for Legence. We are uniquely positioned with this delivery model relative to our public company peers.
5. What’s one way employees can better understand how their day-to-day work contributes to the company’s overall financial performance?
Every employee at Legence plays a vital role in shaping our financial results. One way to see this connection is through the financial metric “EBITDA”—which stands for earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization. EBITDA is a key measure that institutional investors use to assess the value of Legence’s stock. The choices we make each day—whether it’s setting prices, managing costs, delivering high-quality and efficient services, or supporting the people, systems and processes that keep Legence operating smoothly—can all impact EBITDA. When we view our work through this lens, it encourages a sense of ownership and helps everyone understand how their efforts contribute directly to our overall success.
6. The building efficiency space is rapidly evolving. From a financial perspective, what industry trends or market forces do you think will shape Legence’s strategy over the next few years?
Over the next few years, I suspect that our financial outlook will be strongly influenced by the continued surge in data center demand, alongside our proficiency with cutting-edge technologies like direct-to-chip liquid cooling. Longer term, broader industry shifts, such as the trend toward bringing manufacturing capacity back to the U.S. and the need to prioritize building efficiency in response to the rising cost of power, further aligning with our strategic focus and expertise.
7. Investor confidence often hinges on a strong long-term vision. What part of Legence’s growth story or roadmap are you most excited to share with investors?
What excites me most about sharing Legence’s growth story is our integrated service offering—from engineering and consulting to installation and ongoing maintenance. As a newcomer to the public equity markets, our comprehensive delivery model sets us apart from our competitors, though its full value may not yet be fully recognized by some in the investment community. As we continue to build momentum with cross-selling across our segments, I expect that the positive impact on our financial performance to become more evident. This creates an ideal opportunity to showcase the distinct advantages of our approach and how it positions Legence for sustained growth and leadership in the industry.
8. Your role requires translating complex financial information into clear, actionable insights. What guiding principles help you communicate information effectively across different teams and audiences?
My approach to communicating complex financial information is grounded in being transparent, straightforward, and audience-focused. I aim to present information in a way that is easy to understand and directly relevant to the needs of each group, whether I’m speaking with internal teams or external investors. As communication isn’t just one-sided, I make it a priority to listen carefully and encourage feedback. This helps ensure that the insights I share are not only clear, but also resonate with others.
9. Houston is a city with its own rhythm, culture, and character. What aspects of living there do you appreciate most?
What I value most about Houston is its rich and diverse community, which truly shines through in the city’s incredible food scene. As the fourth largest city in the United States, Houston offers a highly livable environment—with affordable living costs, convenient transportation, and a wide range of excellent educational options.
10. What’s one activity, hobby, or tradition you enjoy most with your family when you’re not working?
This may sound simple and boring, but I truly enjoy sharing meals with my immediate family. With everyone’s packed schedules—work, school, and various activities—it’s increasingly rare that we all sit down for dinner together. Even amidst the chaos that these moments can bring, they give us a chance to reconnect, share stories about our day (or week), and have some laughs. I really cherish that time we spend together.
