Leadership Team
JOSEPH GRILLO – FOUNDER & CEO
Joseph Grillo is a 30 year veteran of the electronic security and identification industries with a track record of successfully growing, acquiring and restructuring businesses.
In 2012 Mr. Grillo founded ACRE, LLC as a platform to consolidate acquisitions in the electronic security industry. In September of 2012, ACRE successfully acquired the Software and Controllers product portfolio from Ingersoll Rand’s security business (now Allegion) and renamed it Vanderbilt Industries. In May 2013 ACRE completed the acquisition of Mercury Security, and in June 2015 purchased the former Security Products Division of Siemens AG. This was followed in 2016 by the acquisitions of ACT in Dublin, Ireland and ComNet in Danbury, Connecticut.
Mr. Grillo was known for his long term association with HID, serving as National Sales Manager in the early 1990’s, then participating in a management buyout of the business in 1995 from Hughes Aircraft/General Motors. He became VP of Sales and Marketing, then COO and eventually President of the company as HID grew from a $15M card and reader company to a dominant $100M+ industry leader by 2000. He successfully led the effort to sell HID To Assa Abloy in 2001.
From 2001 to 2007 Mr. Grillo was promoted several times at Assa Abloy, eventually running its $750M Global Technology Division which included HID, the Hospitality business and Besam Automatic Doors; he retired from the company in 2007.
Mr. Grillo graduated from the University of Connecticut with a Bachelor’s Degree in Finance. He served as President and Board Member of the Security Industry Association (SIA) from 1998-2007.
RONALD VIRDEN - CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER
Ronald Virden serves as ACRE’s Chief Operating Officer, responsible for daily ACRE operations as well as the management of process improvements and the continued integration of ACRE-owned brands, including Vanderbilt and ComNet.
Virden is a seasoned global executive who has extensive experience with Fortune 50 organizations. He most recently served as President and Managing Director for Global Security Products, Americas/Global Access Solutions at UTC, encompassing UTC’s Interlogix and GE Security brands, as well as Supra, Onity and Lenel. Prior to that, Virden was President and Managing Director of GE Industrial Systems, GE Security/Supra, where he more than doubled international revenue and drove the strategic development of products to address specific market needs globally.
Ron holds an MBA from the University of Phoenix.
PARKE HESS - CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
Parke Hess is a Member of ACRE, LLC and serves as its Chief Financial Officer. He also serves on the ACRE, LLC board.
Mr. Hess has been involved in the electronic security industry since 1995, as CFO of the management buyout that resulted in the founding of HID Corporation. He has been COO and CFO of several public and private corporations, involved with venture capital and IPO funding, corporate restructuring, and numerous international and domestic buy and sell transactions.
Parke graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Science degree from the US Air Force Academy and has an MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business at Stanford University.
