Center Faculty and Leadership
Dr. Mark L. Frigo mfrigo@depaul.edu
Director, The Center for Strategy, Execution and Valuation
Director, Strategic Risk Management Lab
Dr. Mark L. Frigo is Director of the Center for Strategy, Execution and Valuation and the Strategic Risk Management Lab in the Kellstadt Graduate School of Business at DePaul University in Chicago. He is Ledger & Quill Alumni Foundation Distinguished Professor of Strategy and Leadership and Professor of Accountancy in the School of Accountancy and MIS at DePaul.
Author of six books and over 85 articles, his work is published in leading business journals including Harvard Business Review. Dr. Frigo is a CPA (Illinois), a Certified Management Accountant and holds a Ph.D. in Econometrics. His professional career has included corporate strategic planning, mergers and acquisitions and management consulting with KPMG. He is the author of research monographs and case study research for the AICPA, Institute of Management Accountants (IMA), the Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA) Research Foundation and the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales (ICAEW). A dynamic speaker, he is the recipient of the Economos Distinguished Teaching Award in the Kellstadt GSB at DePaul and numerous awards from professional organizations for his executive education programs.
Dr. Frigo is a recognized thought leader and advisor in the strategy execution and strategic risk management. He has presents executive workshops and keynote presentations to Fortune 100 companies, trade associations and professional organizations throughout Europe and North America. He is co-creator of the Return Driven Strategy framework which is used by corporate management teams, boards of directors and money managers to make the connection between a company’s business plans and market valuation. Mark is co-author of Driven: Business Strategy, Human Actions and the Creation of Wealth (www.returndriven.com).
Dr. Frigo is an advisor to management teams and boards in the area of Strategic Risk Management. You can connect Mark at mfrigo@depaul.edu or 312-362-8784.
Joel Litman joellitman@gmail.com
Clinical Professor of Strategy
Co-Founder of The Center for Strategy, Execution and Valuation
Joel Litman is a Managing Director at Equity Analysis & Strategy, Inc. based in New York. His team is focused on identifying significant stock market mispricings where the underlying value of the business greatly differs from the embedded expectations in the stock price… providing the potential for highest investment returns. Litman’s career spans the interrelationship between business strategy, performance, and valuation. Methodologies employed include RETURN DRIVEN STRATEGY™, Strategic Valuation™, and the HOLT CFROI© methodology. His career has spanned investment management, investment banking, and management consulting, formerly at employers Credit Suisse First Boston, Diamond Management and Technology Consultants, Deloitte Consulting, and American Express.
With Dr. Mark Frigo, Litman co-authored the book, DRIVEN: Business Strategy, Human Actions, and the Creation of Wealth (www.returndriven.com), and has been published articles or served as editor in journals/magazines including Harvard Business Review, Strategic Finance, Insight, and others. Litman is a member of the CFA Institute’s Retained Speakers Bureau and teaches regularly at universities in cities including Hong Kong, Tokyo, Dubai, London, and all over North America. Universities have included Harvard Business School, Wharton, London Business School, and others. He is on staff as Professor with the HULT International Business School based in Cambridge and also The Center for Strategy, Execution, and Valuation which he co-founded at the Kellstadt MBA Program in Chicago. Through the Foundation for Socioeconomic Advancement and Children International, Litman is heavily involved in the support of under-developed communities and education, particularly in the Philippines.
Richard J. Anderson rander37@depaul.edu
Clinical Professor of Strategic Risk Management
Richard (Dick) Anderson is a Clinical Professor in the Center for Strategy, Execution and Valuation and the Strategic Risk Management Lab at DePaul University and is a retired Partner of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP.
Mr. Anderson has a diverse background in the financial and professional services industries. With PwC, he was a Regional Leader in the Financial Services Advisory practice consulting with major financial services organizations on internal auditing practices, risk management and audit committee activities. Prior to joining PwC, he headed two internal audit functions including serving as global head of internal audit and credit review for a major US bank.
With DePaul University, is writing and lecturing on risk management and internal audit topics. A frequent author and speaker; articles have appeared in the Internal Auditor, Financial Executive, The Journal of Business Strategy, Internal Auditing, Director’s Monthly and The Journal of Accountancy.
He holds a B.S. Accounting from St. Joseph College and an MBA from Northern Illinois University. In addition, he is a CPA and member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, Illinois CPA Society, and Institute of Internal Auditors.
Chris Pieszko
Clinical Professor of Strategic Finance
Chris Pieszko is Founder and President of CJP Properties, LLC., which provides management consulting services to small and medium size companies in the areas of operations, financial management, business development strategy, real estate, M & A, and capital funding. Prior to founding CJP Properties, Mr. Pieszko was an executive at McDonald’s Corporation, serving in various management roles in the finance, real estate, accounting, franchising and new business development areas.
From 2004 to March, 2009 as Senior Vice President of Finance Strategy at McDonald’s Corporation, he was responsible for developing long-term ownership strategies for the Company’s international markets and executing optimal ownership structures for these businesses. In 2007, Chris led the effort to sell and franchise 18 markets in Latin America, including Brazil, Mexico, Argentina and Puerto Rico, for $700 million under a developmental license (DL) structure to a master franchisee. This was the single largest franchising transaction in McDonald’s history. From 2001 to 2004, Mr. Pieszko was responsible for long-term business development as Senior Vice President of McDonald’s Global Real Estate and New Business Development. This role involved developing long range strategic plans for new restaurant growth; the relocation, rebuild and re-imaging of existing restaurants; and leveraging the Company’s real estate portfolio. The New Business Development group also pursued several new business opportunities, including the global Wi-Fi initiative in McDonald’s restaurants and the creation the Redbox DVD concept, currently the U.S. leader in automated movie rental with over $800 million in revenues.
Mr. Pieszko was Senior Vice President and Corporate Controller, from 1996 to 2001, where he was responsible for the Corporate and worldwide Accounting functions. In this role he worked very closely with the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors. During this time, he also led the effort to acquire Boston Market, a 600 restaurant chain, and the buy-up to increase McDonald’s ownership in Chipotle Mexican Grill.
Mr. Pieszko graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Commerce from De Paul University. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Illinois Certified Public Accountants Society. He also serves on the De Paul University Advisory Board for the College of Commerce and previously served on the Administrative Committee of McDonald’s Employee Benefit Plans.
David M. Wong david.wong@cmegroup.com
Clinical Instructor of Risk Management
Mr. Wong is the Director of Enterprise Risk Management at CME Group. Mr. Wong is responsible for developing the organization’s framework and practices for acknowledging and managing risks that could materially impact the organization’s ability to achieve its financial, strategic, and operational objectives. Additionally, he leads the organization’s Risk Management Team which is a cross-functional committee consisting of senior leaders from each CME Group division that meets regularly to identify, discuss, address, and monitor enterprise-relevant risks. Mr. Wong regularly provides updates on the organization’s risk profile to CME Group’s Executive Management Team and the Board of Directors.
Before joining CME Group, Mr. Wong was a First Vice President of Risk Management at LaSalle Bank ABN AMRO, where he helped lead the organization’s efforts to develop ERM and Operational Risk Management programs. Prior to joining LaSalle Bank ABN AMRO, Mr. Wong was a Manager in Deloitte’s Enterprise Risk Services group where he assisted and advised numerous clients on identifying, evaluating, and managing risks across their organizations.
Mr. Wong earned a bachelor’s degree in accountancy from the University of Illinois, an MBA from the Kellogg School of Business at Northwestern University, and a certificate in Strategic Decisions and Risk Management from Stanford University. In addition, he is a CPA and CISA and member of the AICPA, IIA, and GARP.