Meredith W. Mendes
Partner | Global Chief Financial Officer
meredith.mendes@pierferd.com
+1.312.877.3637 cell
+1.312.583.2723 office
Chicago
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About
Meredith Mendes is a strategic global finance and operations executive with extensive experience leading law firms and other professional services organizations. Throughout her career, she has delivered bottom-line results by implementing systems and process improvements, mentoring talent, and driving profitable growth and innovation.
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She has had oversight responsibility and managed the financial functions in numerous organizations. Prior to joining Pierson Ferdinand LLP, she served as Chief Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer in family offices and wealth management firms; Chief Operating Officer of Jenner & Block and Jenner & Block UK, a 500+ attorney law firm; and Worldwide Chief Financial Officer of Edelman Public Relations and Medline Industries. Ms. Mendes was also an investment banker and began her career as a practicing lawyer in corporate and municipal finance.
Admissions and Certifications
Certified Public Accountant, Illinois
Illinois Bar
Carnegie Mellon Software Engineering Institute Cybersecurity Oversight
Education
University of Chicago Booth School of Business, MBA, 1991
Harvard Law School, JD, 1983
Brown University, AB, 1980
Law Firm Experience
Jenner & Block LLP, Chief Operating Officer
Jenner & Block UK LLP, Compliance Officer for Finance and Administration
Hopkins & Sutter
Mintz, Levin, Cohen, Ferris, Glovsky & Popeo
Public Company Board Experience
Kronos Worldwide, Inc., Audit Committee
NL Industries, Inc., Audit Committee
Quanex Building Products Corporation, Audit; Nominating and Corporate Governance Committees
Inland Retail Properties Trust, Audit; Nominating and Corporate Governance Committees
Inland Real Estate Corp.; Audit, Nominating and Corporate Governance; Compensation Committees
Corporate Officer Experience
Matthew Pritzker Company LLC, Chief Executive Officer
Gresham Partners, LLP, Chief Operating Officer
Daniel J. Edelman, Inc., Worldwide Chief Financial Officer
Medline Industries, Inc., Chief Financial Officer
Non-Profit Boards
Chicago Academy of Sciences/Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, Treasurer Vice Chair (2019 – 2022)
Richard H. Driehaus Museum, Trustee
Selected Publications and Panels
Hispanic Executive, “Best of the Boardroom” (2019)
Co-Chair, Advisory Board, Panelist, Thomson Reuters Annual COO/CFO Forum, New York (2010 – 2020)
Innovations in Legal Project Management, “Making Legal Project Management Work,” ARK Group (2018)
Women in Legal Tech, Clocktimizer, “An Interview with Meredith Mendes, COO of Jenner & Block” (2017)
Panelist, Human Resources Management Association Leadership Series, Chicago (2017)
Panelist, PwC’s Law Firm Services Global Forum, New York (2016)
Panelist, Practicing Law Institute, Project Management For Lawyers, New York (2016)
Panelist, Thomson Reuters Legal Executive Institute, Mastering Matter-Level Budgeting, New York (2016)
Legal Management Magazine, “Making Legal Project Management Work” (2015)
Law Firm Inc., Real Estate Operations, “Two At A Time” (2007)
Achieving Business Excellence, “Changing The Law” (2007)