G. Michael Merritt has a singular vision for Merritt, the company his father, George A. Merritt, founded in 1967: to be the best, most forward thinking and in-demand provider of ultra-high-end architectural millwork and joinery for residential estates and super yachts. Through his strategic leadership and a collaborative executive team, Merritt has become one of the world’s leading luxury interior solutions firms.Throughout his tenure, Michael has practiced every trade and held nearly every key position in the company from cabinetry to operations. Today Michael provides strategic and practical support of Merritt’s many teams, departments and divisions, while focusing on human capital, team results, mentoring and ensuring controlled company growth.Michael’s goals for Merritt today and in the future are clear: generate flawless results for our clients, mentor and motivate our company team and provide security and future opportunities to our employees, vendors, consultants and friends.

Keith Merritt, younger son of founder George A. Merritt, has a long history within the company. Like his brother Michael, Keith has worked in nearly every position he now oversees from production, manufacturing and logistics to plant management, engineering management and project management. Today, in addition to his roles as executive vice president and treasurer, he also functions as day to day director of operations.Early on, Keith pledged himself to mastering old-world craftsmanship techniques to further Merritt’s foundation in the art of woodwork and joinery. Along with his team, he continues to research the world’s finest materials and technological advancements, fusing them together with the industry’s most advanced equipment and creative people to create exquisite monumental architectural millwork.

Stephanie Cherok joined Merritt in December 2020 as Director of Finance. At Merritt, Stephanie will direct overall financial leadership with focus on increased profitability, forecasting, and treasury management. She will correspond directly with external accountants, bankers, auditors, and lenders. Stephanie brings 17 years of executive level financial leadership to the Merritt finance team. She earned high regard from her financial colleagues for her personal commitment to integrity in business management. Her broad experience in accounting and finance includes multiple entities, business taxation, and critical understanding of construction cost management. Stephanie graduated from the University of Akron with a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting and a Master’s degree in Taxation.

As part of the Merritt team for almost 8 years now, Gina Borovica is currently Merritt’s Director of Marketing. Creating the Merritt story and educating the world on Merritt’s handcrafted woodwork and many other capabilities is her primary focus. Gina also spends time collaborating with the internal Merritt team to innovate and continuously improve processes to ensure Merritt’s clients receive bespoke interiors with flawless execution. Prior to her career at Merritt, Gina has held various positions as Chief of Staff, Director of Marketing, Product Developer and Product Manager for multiple different companies and industries. Working for entrepreneurial start-ups, corporations and family owned businesses, Gina has been exposed to a lot of diversity in her roles and is certainly willing and capable of taking on any challenge to help Merritt grow and succeed. In her free time, Gina loves spending time outdoors and on the water. Family is extremely important to her and she is the proud mother of her daughter Allison.

A member of the Merritt team since 2017, Chad Emmerich serves as Director of Human Resources where he is responsible for overseeing the strategic and operational Human Resources activities for Merritt. Chad brings his expertise to Merritt after holding the position of Senior Vice President of Human Resources and Administration for Affirmative Insurance, a publicly traded holdings company that specializes in mergers and acquisitions. He was responsible for HR, corporate communications, corporate facilities management and led an $8M office buildout and relocation. Before that, Chad spent 13 years with Nationwide Insurance where he, among many other responsibilities, led various call centers and field environments as well as coordinated the merge and integration of THI Holdings, Inc. In addition to his corporate experiences, Chad has pursued independent ventures that demonstrate an enterprising drive and brings a big picture perspective to his role at Merritt. Chad graduated Cum Laude with a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics from Providence College and has achieved the Senior Professional in HR designation.

Ian Agrell began modeling clay as a child at the encouragement of his parents. This love of working in three dimensions led him to first study woodcarving in 1961. Twenty years later, Ian was elected to the Master Carvers Association, a prestigious society of wood and stone carvers in the United Kingdom.In 1986, Ian moved to the United States to take on larger residential projects and to teach classical carving. Since then he and his team have been honored with commissions including Fulham Palace, Hampton Court, the United Kingdom Houses of Parliament, the Utah Governor’s Mansion and a throne for Pope Saint John Paul.After twenty years of partnering with Merritt on large high-end residential projects, Agrell Architectural Carving was acquired and now operates as Merritt’s in-house classical decoration team.Ian oversees all classical decoration operations for Merritt as well as staff training and program development.Ian is passionate about maintaining the art of classical woodcarving and to ensure the future of these unique skills, thirty years ago he founded the School of Classical Woodcarving where he teaches several classes each year.

Albert Peetoom has been a project principal with Merritt’s residential and super yacht divisions since 2013. He brings more than 20 years of experience as a professional yacht builder specializing in leading interior fit-out. His team leadership includes oversight of residential and yacht projects from start to finish including all aspects of engineering, budgets, communication and procurement. His deep experience in the yachting industry, particularly interior outfitting, informs his work at Merritt every day, both residential and nautical. Delivering extraordinary results to Merritt clients continually drives Albert and his team to excellence. Albert lives in Savannah, Georgia and is a member of the Historic Savannah Foundation.

As team leader of the Utah office, Jeff is responsible for providing project management and engineering leadership on multiple simultaneous projects from inception through completion. He brings years of experience with him to Merritt, previously serving as CEO & Vice President at Wavell-Huber Wood Products, Inc. where he developed the company from a regional Southern California firm into a national architectural woodworking organization.Jeff holds a Master of Architecture, California Polytechnic University and a Bachelor of Arts, with emphasis in Environmental Design from San Diego State University.

Peter Staedler, one of Merritt’s Project Principals, is responsible for projects from the very beginning until the end, when the project is delivered and installed. Those responsibilities include the oversight of the project, fiscal responsibility and adhering to budgets, engineering, procurement, coordination of manufacturing, delivery and installation. After graduating from college, Peter started his career at a cabinet shop in Switzerland, where he worked as a cabinet maker and installer. A few years later and prior to working at Merritt, he traveled to the United States and worked for Wavell-Huber Wood Products for 18 years. Building years of knowledge and experience in the industry, Peter was originally a cabinet maker, progressed to an installer for 10 years, and was then promoted to production manager for 4 years. Outside of work, Peter loves spending time outdoors while camping, fishing and horseback riding.

As one of Merritt’s Project Principals, Maurice Zeini manages and directs projects and project teams to reach high-end results that align with each deadline and expectation. When Maurice joined Merritt’s team in 2019, he brought with him a strong background and years of valuable experience in yacht, hospitality and residential interiors. Prior to Merritt, he started his career as a master cabinet maker and quickly became promoted to a production manager and eventually an operations manager. In Maurice’s free time he loves spending time with his three daughters, cooking and playing and watching sports such as table tennis, squash, billiards and boxing.

Since 2015 Jochen Schröcker has led Merritt’s Germany-based team of highly skilled craftsmen, integrating their work, heritage and operations with Merritt’s U.S.-based headquarters.Jochen is at heart a schreinermeister, German for master cabinetmaker. A third generation cabinetmaker, Jochen has been a master craftsman since 1994 and has worked in the yacht and international premium residential business for 18 years.His remarkable career experience includes working on some of the world’s most extraordinary mega yachts including the Maltese Falcon, Royal Romance and Nourah of Riyadh. Ultra-luxury penthouses in St. Petersburg, Russia, Istanbul, Turkey and San Francisco, California confirm an experience delivering unparalleled millwork to clients for whom the best is the only option.Prior to joining Merritt, Jochen was a project manager, head of estimating and general manager for Sinnex Steinheimer Innenausbau, the prestigious German millwork firm. Germany is highly regarded for the value it places on craft, attention to detail and precision in execution. Jochen embodies these values and it informs his work and his team at Merritt every day.

As a member of the Merritt team since 2012, Daniel Genest holds the position of General Manager of SCI-Merritt, Merritt’s Carpentry and Installation division. Daniel oversees the installation of all jobs globally, including management of schedules, budgets, quality and the customer service experience. With prior experience at International Home Improvements, Eurotech Millwork and National Cabinet & Millwork, Daniel brings an abundance of expertise in carpentry and management to the company. In his free time, Daniel enjoys spending time with his wife and two daughters as well as watching NASCAR and football.