JoAnn Lilek is an experienced Chief Financial Officer and C-Suite Executive in both private and public companies, often with international responsibilities. Along with her financial acumen, she is a strategic leader who works well with Boards and CEOs in organizing and implementing transformational change that improves profitability and stimulates growth. She is known for her calm demeanor in stressful situations and communicates complex financials and regulatory issues in clear ways for others to understand. Both as a Board member and as a business leader, JoAnn focused on strategy and risk mitigation as she oversaw the establishment and evolution of cybersecurity programs. She has consistently created high-performing teams by placing people in the right roles and encouraging collaboration. As a corporate board director, she has served as Board Chair and Audit Chair.
JoAnn served as Board member (2011-2016) for the Hinsdale Bank and Trust Company, a subsidiary of Wintrust Corporation (NASDAQ: WTFC) where she also served as the Audit Chair and as a Credit and Risk Management Committee Member. In addition, from 2005-2009 she served as Board Chair for the Board of Trustees of the Lou Holland Trust Mutual Fund, a publicly traded mutual fund. With her community service, she has 14 years of Board service at the YWCA of Metropolitan Chicago, including Board President and Treasurer. She was named YWCA Director Emeritus in 2014.
From 2010 to early 2018, she served as the Chief Financial Officer and her responsibilities grew to include Chief Operating Officer of Accretive Solutions, a private equity owned national management consulting firm. She reported directly to the Board and was hired to completely upgrade the Finance and IT capability and to solve an imminent liquidity crisis. She positioned the company for growth through continual performance improvement and the M&A due diligence of acquiring and integrating a competing company. Within three years, EBITDA increased from a sizable loss to substantial profit and liquidity quadrupled. She played a leading role in the successful sale of Accretive Solutions.
Prior to 2010, JoAnn worked two years as EVP and CFO of Midwest Bank Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: MBHI) as part of the turnaround team commissioned to recapitalize Midwest Bank. She worked closely with the Board and CEO on strategies to preserve liquidity, recapitalize the company, and to respond to bank regulators and the SEC during the global financial crisis of 2008.
From 2001 to 2008, JoAnn was the CFO for DSC Logistics, a well-known, family owned national provider of third party logistics and supply chain management services. She managed all corporate financial functions including treasury, real estate, pricing and credit in addition to industrial engineering and information technology.
Prior to DSC, JoAnn had a long and distinguished career in financial management including significant M&A responsibilities at ABN Amro North America, the parent of LaSalle National Bank. She held the top positions of GSVP Corporate Controller and EVP CFO Wholesale Banking for all of North America. Pivoting from these roles, in 2000-2001 she was EVP, Office of the Chairman, where she was responsible for driving transformational change in the operating strategy and profitability for ABN.
JoAnn has an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and a BBA, Magna Cum Laude, from Loyola University of Chicago. She is a member of The University of Chicago Booth CFO Forum, Financial Executives International (FEI), The Chicago Finance Exchange, and the Executives Club of Chicago. Also, she is a Founding Member of the Private Directors Association.