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: Company Impacted By Ransomware.


Big Thinking: Restore System On-site And Avoid Six-figure Ransom.

TREVOR WARREN joined Schneider Downs in 2001 and has more than 20 years of experience in public accounting. He mainly focuses on audit, review, and compilation engagements, and services a diversified number of industries from automotive to nonprofit.
One of Trevor’s clients fell victim to ransomware. Their system was locked down and the ransom was in the mid six-figures. The company had cyber insurance and was referred to a few firms that were more focused on negotiating the ransom instead of assisting in restoring the system. That’s when Trevor received a call from the company’s CFO. “I was able to immediately get the CFO in touch with our cyber team, who were on-site and working with their Director of Information Technology quickly,” said Trevor. “We were able to successfully restore the client’s system and remove any threat of ransomware. Plus, the client did not have to pay any of the ransom and most of our fees were covered through their cyber insurance.” 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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