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VAA names Brian Utoft CEO

The Minneapolis engineering firm's longtime partner takes over Jan. 1 as Jeff Schrock shifts to client work after 13 years as chief executive.

Feed & Grain Staff

October 29, 2026

VAA has named partner Brian Utoft its next chief executive officer, effective Jan. 1, 2027.

Utoft succeeds Jeff Schrock, who has led the company for 13 years and will focus on clients, business development and strategic growth, according to VAA's announcement. The change completes a three-year succession process.

Utoft joined VAA in 2010 and is a senior engineer and partner who leads the firm's General Arrangement department. He earned an executive MBA from Iowa State University in 2025.

"Jeff has built an incredible foundation, and my job isn't to recreate his leadership, it's to build on it," Utoft said.

Schrock joined VAA as an engineer 20 years ago. During his tenure as CEO, the firm expanded in the U.S. and Canada and opened offices in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and New Orleans. VAA is headquartered in Minneapolis.

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