Mark A. Pfister is Chief Executive Officer of Integral Board Group and the Chairman of the Board. He is also the CEO of M. A. Pfister Strategy Group, an executive management firm that serves as a strategic advisory council for executives and boards in the private, public and nonprofit sectors. His success has been repeated across a wide range of business situations and environments. Mr. Pfister prides himself on being a coach and mentor to senior executives and is sought by teammates for his unique skillsets.
The overarching theme throughout Mr. Pfister’s career has been his aptitude in leadership positions, passionate focus on people, unique governance models and also his ability to create value for shareholders and stakeholders through innovative business strategies and operational excellence. Michael Lorelli, the Executive Chairman of Rita’s Franchise Company, has said, “Mark’s unusual combination of excelling at a macro and micro grasp of business, genuine interest in Governance and ability to coach and mentor a Management Team make him a terrific Independent Director.”
Mr. Pfister is a certified Expert Project & Program Manager and frequently consults on global projects in their initiation phases as well as programs that require remedial focus to bring them back on track. He has deep knowledge and experience in entrepreneurship, turnaround management, succession planning, data analytics and consults companies of all sizes in business strategy, structure, development, operations and raising capital.
Prior to forming M. A. Pfister Strategy Group and joining Integral Board Group, Mr. Pfister was CEO of Pro4ia, Inc., a national consulting and professional services company specializing in a wide range of technology solutions utilizing formal Project Management as a proven and repeatable delivery method. Pro4ia was Citibank's Nominee for Crain’s Magazine “Entrepreneurship of the Year” Award in 2005. He simultaneously served as CEO of Onit, Inc., a national sourcing company with innovative compensation models, specializing in placements for all levels of technology skillsets within support environments.
Previously, Mr. Pfister was the National Program Office leader for American Express driving strategic projects within their technology group. Mr. Pfister served as a Licensed Engineering Officer in the U.S. Merchant Marine, holds a B.S. from the State University of New York Maritime College in Facilities Engineering and completed Harvard Business School's Executive Education Program for Board Directors.
Mr. Pfister is considered to be the creator of the ‘Board as a Service’ (BaaS) engagement model, an industry he is credited with inventing, and frequently lectures on this topic. He also conducts national speaking engagements, lectures, courses and seminars focused on effective leadership, strategy, Board operations, professional project/program management and entrepreneurship.
Mr. Pfister is an exceptional CEO and Board of Directors candidate for public or private companies. He is typically the Chair or a member of the Strategic Planning Committee, Technology & Cybersecurity Committee, Compensation Committee and Governance Committee. To name a few, he currently is the CEO and serves on the Board as Chairman of Integral Board Group, CEO of M. A. Pfister Strategy Group, serves on the Board and is Chairman of LIFARS, was a Board Advisor to Platinum Properties, was a Board Advisor to Platinum Management, was a Board Member of Lincoln Hall Boys’ Haven and was a Board Member of the L.H. Foundation. Mr. Pfister also consults as a Board Advisor to multiple public company Committee Chairs and Board Members.
He is a certified Advanced Professional Director through the American College of Corporate Directors (ACCD), an active member of the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD), a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) through the Project Management Institute (PMI) and holds a Certified Cyber Intelligence Professional (CCIP) Board Certification through the McAfee Institute.