TONY P. IELASE CISA

Tony has over 30 years of experience providing internal audit, SOX compliance, enterprise risk management and strategic reviews of internal audit and compliance functions for various industries, including utilities, retail, manufacturing, higher education, healthcare, financial services, technology and aerospace and defense.

Prior to joining Schneider Downs, Tony was a director at a National Big 4 firm for 15 years where he helped lead their risk consulting practice in the Columbus and Pittsburgh markets. He has significant experience managing large scale SOX 404 readiness engagements, focusing on both financial and IT-related control activities. These projects included SOX IPO program readiness and implementation, acquisition integration, material weakness remediation support, SOX program optimization and providing PMO and oversight of SOX program execution.

Tony also has significant experience helping companies successfully transition from an in-house model to an outsourcing model. He currently serves as the Chief Audit Executive (CAE) at a publicly traded online higher education technology company, overseeing the company’s ERM program from an outsourced model perspective. Additionally, Tony served as an interim CAE for a multi-national public organization where he turned around an underperforming internal audit function and managed the function’s risk assessment, audit plan development and execution, IIA Standards assessment and remediation, quality assurance, as well as Audit Committee reporting and SOX compliance.

Professional and Community Involvement

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Do you have a hobby/personal passion?
Golf and pugs.

What was the best advice you’ve ever received?
If you want to make a million dollars, work a million hours.

Who is your role model?
My father.

What was your childhood dream?
To be an artist.

If you could go back in time, what advice would you give to your college self?
Don’t stress out.  If you work hard everything will work out

People would be surprised to know that I…
…was an Art major my freshman year in college.

What is the best or most interesting thing about your career?
I get to meet and work with some of the brightest minds in the business community.

What was your first job?
Kirby sweeper salesman (true).

Do you have a “motto”? (spoken or unspoken)
“Don’t worry if the horse is blind- just start loading the wagon”

When you have an hour of free time, what do you like to do?
Spend time with my daughter Madison and walk the pug.

Do you have advice for young professionals?
Don’t be afraid of making mistakes.  Learn from them.  And if you’re not making mistakes, you’re probably not challenging yourself enough.

Our Thoughts On

FEATURED

Big Problem: Liquidity Issues For A Local Company.


Big Thinking: New Ways To Predict And Control Cash Flows.

Shareholder STACI BROGAN has more than 20 years of public accounting experience. Her areas of expertise include helping not-for-profit clients, publicly traded registrants, and clients with complex governance structures.
One of Staci’s clients was struggling with cash flow issues and wasn’t sure how to better manage their liquidity. But Staci’s team had an in-depth knowledge of the company and a clear understanding of their operations. Through detailed benchmarking of the company’s financial results as compared to their peers, a template was created to better project cash flows and positively impact key ratios. “In addition to benchmarking performance, we were able to provide the client with an analysis to evaluate a key contract,” Brogan said. “This allowed them to negotiate better terms for the organization which also helped with their liquidity.” Schneider Downs provides Big Thinking and Personal Focus in delivering a variety of services for large and small businesses, both publicly and privately held, as well as nonprofit organizations, government entities and more. Through our commitment to thought leadership and knowledge management, we deliver the solutions our clients need with a personal commitment to service.

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