Dean Fischer co-founded West Monroe in 2002 and after over a decade of leading the firm as CEO and Chairman of the Board, is now an emeritus adviser.
Over nearly a quarter of a century at Arthur Andersen, Dean built a reputation as an entrepreneur who launched successful new practices and business offerings. It wasn’t surprising, then, that he took on the challenge of leading a brand-new consultancy. As West Monroe’s president and CEO over the first decade, he guided our evolution from a startup into a national business and technology consultancy with several offices and hundreds of consultants. He continued to serve as executive chairman of the Board of Directors until the end of 2019.
Dean previously held local, national, and global leadership positions within Arthur Andersen, as well as serving as chairman and a member of the Andersen Worldwide Managing Partner Advisory Council.
What makes Dean different
Dean is known for a moral compass that points to people before all else. As Dean and other co-founders sat around a table in 2002 and jotted down the words that represented their vision, “people first” was at the top of the list. He made it a personal priority to bring this unique culture to life and then nurture it as we grew.
Where Dean makes an impact
Dean is passionate about maintaining a healthy planet through conservation and sustainability. He served for seven years on the board of the Student Conservation Association, including three as its chairman. He is also the current board chair of Audubon Great Lakes, a national board member for the National Audubon Society, and a member of the board of Openlands in Chicago.
His commitment to corporate social responsibility and building healthy communities inspired our Fischer Global Fellowship Program, which allows employees to take a temporary leave to support a philanthropic or humanitarian issue of interest, anywhere in the world. Since 2013, nearly 30 employees have completed fellowships on six continents.